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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has met with the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) caucus in the National Assembly over his quest to be the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election.
He told the lawmakers he was in the contest to win for the opposition party. He noted that PDP requires a strong and determined person as its presidential standard bearer, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders must be having sleepless nights since he joined the presidential contest.
“It is just not I want to contest election. No, I am coming not just to contest but to win the election. And I will be in front, I am not going to travel, I will be here because you must show leadership, I will be at the front, if they bullet, let it reach me first, that is what they call leadership…
“PDP requires a strong and determined person. I am presenting myself, I am qualified. So let nobody think oh you came here because of zoning but I will come to that too.
“People say this Wike he shouts too much, who has problems that will not shout? Don’t shout whether you won’t die there. So, I have come to solicit (your support). Give me your votes, don’t waste it, this is the man that will deliver.
“Some of you say some people don’t like you. Must everybody like you? When everybody likes you, then you have a problem. What is important for now is who can do this job? Who can go and meet APC? The fight has started. And I am sure APC wherever they are now are not sleeping because they know I have come out and it will not be easy.
“I beg you for the interest of our party, I have made myself available, age is on my side, too much energy to run around and solve the problems of this country. So, I am making myself available, remove sentiments. But if we don’t win in 2023 it will be problem for us. I will bring my state votes, with my leaders here, even if you don’t give me the ticket, I will still produce the highest votes, it is our nature since 1999 till now. Ask. Nobody has beaten Rivers State in terms of giving votes to the party.”
Wike promised to transform the country if voted as president. The governor, while stating that Rivers State has made massive progress under his leadership, said Nigeria would witness unprecedented transformation with him as president.
“Poverty does not know religion, insecurity does not know ethnicity. The poverty has ravaged Nigeria in the north and in the south, hunger everywhere, so why not get somebody that is prepared for this work, that is so energetic?
“Any project I cannot do and I cannot complete it will never be in my budget. I don’t do something when I have no money. You have a road project from Nasarawa to Benue, it is going to cost, for example N50 billion then in the budget you put N500 million. You don’t want to do the road project. I don’t need to do all the roads, I can’t finish everything. Even if you give me president for 40 years, you can’t finish everyone of them. Take the ones you can do and let everybody know that you have done something. Go to the zones, you must identify what the government has done.”
