Rivers State's governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has challenged those who have vowed to expel him from the PDP to do so.
Governor Wike issued the challenge at the Eneka Road Roundabout during the project's flag-off ceremony to dualize Eneka-Igbo Etche Road.
Governor Wike, who asserted he is unfazed about the possibility of expulsion, questioned the reasons behind those who wish to do so and questioned why they are exhibiting fear rather than acting on their threat to see whether they can survive it. “We will know who has the capacity and who does not have the capacity,” he said, “when the time comes.”
The governor of Rivers State also reiterated the G5's minimal demand that Dr Iyorchia Ayu resigns from her position as PDP national chairman in order to make room for a person from the south to fill the position.
“We have made our demand and our demand is the national chairman must come to the south. It is non-negotiable. If you say you don’t care, no problem. Let’s go to the field. No need to begin to threaten people you will do this, you will do that.”
According to Governor Wike, in 2002 and 2003, former President Olusegun Obasanjo pleaded with his vice president and current PDP presidential contender, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to back his candidature for a second term, but only under certain circumstances.
“You say we are giving conditions, but you forget history. In 2002- 2003 when President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to run for the second tenure, he knelt down before his vice president and said my vice please allow me to run. You know one of the conditions he gave him, Tony Anenih must be sacked as the Minister of Works and Tony Anenih must not be in the presidential campaign council. Obasanjo obliged and sacked Tony Anenih as Minister of Works and removed him from presidential campaign council.”
He was taken aback by the persistent enthusiasm of those who insist they no longer require the G5 coalition to secure victory in the 2023 election. He was perplexed as to why the G5’s enemies were continually looking over their shoulders.
For what it’s worth, Governor Wike questioned their preoccupation with the G5’s destination, message, and interviewee selection.
The governor pointed out that, even as the G5 recently travelled to Europe, some persons, including Arise TV and other media outlets, theorised and insinuated so many false things without proof of any visual or audio, to support their assertions that the G5 met with a presidential contender in Europe.
“They said I had a conversation with BBC; where is the picture? Where is the video? You know we don’t have journalists again these days; we have pressmen. You can see people not being able to give out the correct information. You see newspaper houses that are now running the election. You see television houses standing for election.
“Wike had interview with BBC. Wike said we had a deal with so, so and so. Meanwhile no video, no audio. And some of you waste your time to listen to such things. Don’t you know that when I want to do something I’ll do it. Don’t you know? Do you need to speculate? You don’t need to speculate. They say there is trouble, there is no trouble. What we have is introduction to trouble that will come.”
However, Governor Wike questioned the source of the commotion if it were true that he was required to meet with anyone, including the APC presidential candidate, while Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the opposition People’s Democratic Party, has been meeting with APC governors without being questioned.
“What is your problem assuming that there was a meeting. Has Atiku not been holding meetings with governors of APC? Ask him. As he is in Dubai, don’t we know what is going on? So, why do you bother about us, G-5 that you say you can win without us. Leave us alone.”
The governor of Rivers State publicly challenged Prince Uche Secondus, the ex-national chairman of the PDP, on his claim that he is his benefactor.
Aside from accompanying him on several lobbying trips, he said, Prince Uche Secondus never endorsed him for political office.
Even though Sule Lamido, Austin Opara, Dr Abiye Sekibo, Celestine Omehia, and Lee Maeba all opposed and rejected Prince Uche Secondus’s nomination for national chairman of the PDP, Governor Wike insisted that he is instead the benefactor to Prince Uche Secondus because he sponsored him to become national chairman of the PDP and then removed him when he wanted to make his nephew governor of Rivers State.
“You wanted to be national chairman first to impose your nephew or your cousin as you may call him to become governorship candidate of PDP in Rivers State. I said not here, it won’t work. We had to kick you out first and we did, and you are out.”
He credits the Nsirim, Senator John Mbata, and Dr Odili families with helping him get where he is now in politics.
The governor emphasised that Prince Uche Secondus was given multiple contracts in Rivers State worth about N50B and paid a total of N43.9B. Still, he has never finished any projects and cannot account for the money he got.
Dr George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, who provided a summary of the project, noted that the Eneka Igbo Etche Road, which would be dualised, is five kilometres long.
As he put it, “the contractor, Monier Construction Company, has been mobilised to site, and the project is scheduled for completion in five months.”