The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has explained that the intent of his public comment on former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of Peter Obi, instead of his former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, was not to mock the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flagbearer.
Recall that Obasanjo endorsed Obi in a New Year letter to Nigerians on Sunday, January 1.
Speaking on the endorsement on Monday, Wike said that a bad product is always difficult to sell, otherwise Obasanjo would have recommended Atiku to Nigerians having worked with him.
Wike insisted that if former president Obasanjo had refused to recommend Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong.
Clarifying the comment, Wike said that it was borne out of concern for the PDP.
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Wike made the clarification at Mgbuodohia Community Primary School Premises, venue of the flag-off of the construction of Mgbuodohia Road in Rumuolumene Town of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area on Tuesday.
The governor observed that having served as president on the platform of the PDP with Atiku as his vice for eight years, Obasanjo ideally should have been in a better position to confidently solicit for support from Nigerians on Atiku’s behalf.
He said that Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi instead of Atiku should elicit concern from PDP members.
“I meant nothing bad. I’m only worried as a prominent PDP member. A man who loves PDP should be worried. I was not mocking anybody. I was merely worried. My prayer was, look, let Obasanjo remain quiet and not say anything. That was all my prayer, but my prayer didn’t work. My prayer was that if this man makes any statement, it will indict us because he was president under the Peoples Democratic Party for eight years, and he worked with our presidential candidate. And the campaign of our presidential council is that our presidential candidate during the eight years did very well, with experience.”
He insisted that Obasanjo’s endorsement of Obi instead of his former vice meant something must be fundamentally wrong.
Wike lamented that instead of his fellow PDP members looking at issues critically and pondering on what could be done with the seeming wrong, they were abusing him.
He described those abusing him, including a spokesman of the party, as “jobbers” and “political flirts” frequently jumped from one party to another.
“What did I do? I didn’t do anything. All I did was to express concern. If you care for this party, it is for you to go back, and ask what is fundamentally wrong?
“Me, that is worried that we should do something and have expressed it, you’re abusing me for telling the party that we should do something,” he said.
Wike noted that only those who love the PDP would be bent on ensuring that nothing untoward happened to the party.
“They are not bothered, but those of us who since 1998 joined this party, contributed for the survival of this party until now, we keep shouting always when we see danger coming.
“Abuses upon abuses, it will not change anything, rather it will spoil more things. What you don’t know, ask people, seek for advice, people will help you to solve the problem.”
The Rivers governor added that abusing members of the Integrity Group of the PDP would only complicate the lingering crisis in the party.
He further cautioned those who were issuing threats of possible punitive action against the G5 governors to perish the thought.
“Nobody can drive us from this house we have built. All of us will fight here. So, if anybody thinks that you can just sit in your house and dish out orders, it will not work. The house will collapse on you. So, you better think twice,” Wike warned.