Makurdi—Rivers State Goveror, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday has declared his intention to contest the position of the President of Nigeria in the 2023 general elections.
He called on national delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to sell their votes during the elections.
According to reports by Punch newspaper, Wike, who addressed the party delegates at the Government House, Makurdi, said most of the presidential aspirants from the party were responsible for its defeat in 2015.
The Rivers state governor who apparently took shots at the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, said some of the presidential aspirants on the platform of the party left the party when it mattered most.
He said, “Let these people who are interested in presidency in the PDP tell us their contributions. You claimed to be one of the founding fathers of the party, but you left and came back; you have become an ordinary person in the new PDP.
“If you form a company and run away because the company is not doing well, then you come back and found that it is now doing well, will you want to come and take over?
He further said, “Some people want to use Nigeria to get back their private businesses. Let them mention their private sector that survived. Is it bank that your father had?
“Everybody is an employer of labour; even me I have 50 people in my house. So everybody has been employing people according to his capacity.
“In 2015, most of these people made us (PDP) to lose the election.”
Wike said he had stood firm for the party through thick and thin, adding that he had contributed immensely to the growth of the party.
“I have spoken truth to power. I don’t have problem with anybody but have to tell them the truth. Umahi and others abused me because I told him that you cannot take our mandate away.”
He added, “As a governor, I have performed well. I can go anywhere with my shoulder high. How many of them have challenged this government (APC)?
“If I become president, we will take security as priority because the main purpose of government is protection of lives and property.”
Earlier, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, who lauded the contributions of his River State counterpart to Benue State and towards the displaced persons, said that the people of the state would support his aspiration.
