Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has finally broken silence days after he lost the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primary.
The Governor addressed PDP supporters in Rivers state on Monday May 30, and he said that the primary witnessed betrayal, conspiracy, and people who cannot keep to agreement.
Wike alleged that some Southern Governors sabotaged his interest. He maintained that he contested in the primary “based on principle and agreement with all the southern governors and the leaders of the south that the presidency should go to the south”.
In his words;
“As far as I am concerned, there is nothing to worry about. I contested election based on principle and agreement with all the southern governors and the leaders of the south that the presidency should go to the south this period.
“We have done our own part and we never betrayed anybody, because it is not in our blood to betray. But it’s a shame to those people. Some of the governors from the south are the people they used to sabotage our interest. However, we have shown them that we are not like them. We have the capacity to do whatever is good for us.
“I don’t want to talk about some other people who cannot even win election in their own places. I’ve told them that this election, whoever emerges, I will support, and I am not going to go back.
“Yes, it may be painful to you, it may be painful to us, but we cannot abandon the party. And let me also say to those who do not understand, and who take Rivers state for a ride, now they have learnt their lesson. You need us. Forget about these people who have nothing to offer and who make noise up and down.
“I saw one governor who was dancing. Meanwhile, he did not win one delegate. I told Atiku Abubakar this afternoon when he came to see me that ‘some of the people following you here, they don’t have votes; they re empty.’ I have votes. I have something to offer. Do they have anything to offer?
“In 2019, I was the only governor from the south-south who never negotiated with the present government. They came and I said ‘no, I’m not going to be party to that.’ And that’s why APC never had 25 percent in his state. I said I was not going to sit down with them to negotiate.
“When you see people, they can’t confront me. They can’t face me. It’s merely envy. If somebody is bigger than you, somebody is bigger than you. I told them ‘look, it’s not to go back. If they give you vice-president, you need my support. So, you will come to me.’ PDP knows. Three states determine elections in Nigeria — Lagos, Kano and Rivers. Anybody who tries to say that Rivers state is nowhere, it’s at your own peril. If you want to bury yourself, let it be.
“So, for me, we have done what we are supposed to do. Leave history for those betrayers of their people. History will judge them. They will live and see how betrayers suffer. We have done our best and and the whole world has seen that we have done our best.”
Wike also averred that people have no right to complain about the south being referred to as the minority.