Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has again voiced his tacit endorsement of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the race for the next president of Nigeria.
With a week to the much anticipated 2023 presidential election, Wike on Saturday said he was in support of APC governors’ insistence that power must shift at the centre, adding that Rivers people need not be told who to vote as president under the circumstance.
The governor was addressing Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters at the grand finale of Local Government Areas flag off of the rallies by the state PDP campaign council held in Obio/Akpor, his home local government.
The governor said, “We’re going to vote for the unity of Nigeria. We’re going to vote for fairness, equity and justice. That is why I salute all APC governors who came to say, for this country to be united, to move together, that there is a need for power to shift. That we are not greedy.
“They know Nigeria is such a country that requires unity. Those who are greedy for power don’t realise that you can get power and may not have peace. Is it not better to have peace so that when you have the power you can govern the people well.”
Apparently hitting at the PDP presidential candidate for undermining the electoral value of Rivers to his presidential bid, Wike reiterated before Rivers people, “Anybody that has no interest in our state, we will not vote for. So you don’t need anybody to tell you who to vote.”
On the qualities that put Rivers PDP guber candidate, Siminaliayi Fubara ahead of others in the race for who succeeds him, Governor Wike said “He (Fubara) is a very humble person, very committed person and will don’t disappoint the people of Rivers.
“He is not the talking type, but the working type. I could not have achieved so much and then support somebody who will do better than me. He was the Accountant General of the state and has followed all our workings in this state.
“And we needed somebody who will continue where we stopped and consolidate on our gains. That is why we refused to bring in those buccaneers who are looking for what to grab. We want the state to continue on the path of development, progress.”
To PDP candidates aspiring for legislative offices, the governor warned, “I want to sound it clear if any of the national assembly candidates misbehave when they get to Abuja, we will teach them a lesson as we are teaching some of them serving now.
“Let me sound it clear to them. If you follow these betrayers, we will place a curse on you, so you suffer the way they’re suffering.”
