• Tells Sekibo, my hands are clean, free of blood
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has explained that the G-5 governors of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have withdrawn from talking regularly in public to embark on strategic actions in silence in order to achieve set goals.
Wike said no matter how much those who think that the group has either disintegrated or died, and yet are anxiously pushing to know the activities of the group, they would never come near knowing their next line of action.
Governor Wike stated this at St. Paul’s Primary School Field, in Ahoada Town, venue of the campaign flag-off rally organised by the Rivers State PDP campaign council for Ahoada East Local Government Area, yesterday.
The governor described Lee Maeba, a member of PDP Presidential Campaign Council in the state as an illiterate for claiming that the G-5 is dead.
He said it was preposterous for a clueless man who sold oil bloc allocated to him and took the proceeds to Chicago, United State, where he spent it to destroy a family of a kinsman from Khana Local Government Area to talk about the G-5.
The governor insisted that in politics, there is time to always appear in public to indulge in talks, and having satisfactorily maximised that time, the group has withdrawn into silence to activate requisite political actions because February 25, 2023, is in view.
He said: “You people say G-5 is dead. We that you said are dead are not worried. But, you that is alive is worried. We are not talking again, we are not worried. Yet, you are worried. You fail to realise that in politics there is time for talking and time for action. Action has started and February 25 is the D-day.
“You can never know what our plans and strategies are no matter how you people pressurise us. We will not disclose our strategy. The more you look, the less you see.”
Replying to the allegations of threat to the life of members of PDP Presidential Campaign Council in the state, as claimed by Abiye Sekibo, the director general of the group, Wike wondered why it is only Sekibo and his group raising false alarm about insecurity in Rivers State.
Governor Wike said both presidential candidates of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, had campaigned in Rivers State, enjoyed logistics provided by the state government and never complained of any threat to life.
He also said the presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, is expected to campaign in Rivers State, because the party had applied and got a venue approved for them without any of them complaining of insecurity or threat to life.
Governor Wike, who insisted Rivers is the most peaceful state in the federation and that nobody can toil with it, told Sekibo to stop deceiving PDP governors who he is collecting money from on the pretence that he would mobilise people for the campaign rally for PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
He gave Sekibo 24 hours to tell the world what he knows about the death of Aminasoari Kala (AK) Dikibo, former vice chairman, South South of PDP. He also asked him to tell the world who killed Gospel Biobele a day after he wrote the petition against his nomination as minister of transport.
The explanation, governor Wike said, should also include why the late Justice Kayode Eso of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by former governor Chibuike Amaechi indicted him as head of cultists in his report and why former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, sacked him from his cabinet.
Governor Wike asserted that his hands were clean because he has never and would not involve in blood letting activities and wondered the basis of Sekibo’s allegation of threat to life.
The governorship candidate, Siminialayi Fubara, expressed appreciation to the Ekpeye people for their large turnout and noted that it confirms their love for the governor and were ready to work for him.
Fubara said since they trust Wike, not only because he is their in-law, but as a trusted leader, who has executed several development projects in the area, they should also trust who he is supporting to be governor of the state after him.
He promised his administration when elected would continue to execute development projects in the area and develop the capacity of the youths, while working with Ekpeye traditional and political leaders to sustain the peace.
Performing the presentation of party’s flags to the candidates, chairman of PDP, Desmond Akawor, urged Ekpeye people to vote the best of the best that the party has chosen.
Deputy Governor, Ipalibo Banigo, who is also the candidate for Rivers West senatorial district, spoke on behalf of other candidates and thanked the people for their support.