From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared that nobody can undermine the interest of the people of Southern Nigeria in the decision over who flies the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He stated this, yesterday, during a meeting of stakeholders of the party at Government House,Port Harcourt.
The governor frowned at those who claim that they were transversing the country on consultations with stakeholders over their interest in the race, but are actually declaring their ambition inadvertently.T
He asserted that southern Nigeria, and particularly Rivers State, was an enduring asset to the PDP and cannot be treated with levity.
“Please discountenance anything you’re seeing and hearing, all those social media posts, the south will make a statement very soon. It is not about you’ll be vice president to this or these people are consulting. The day the south makes a statement, Nigerians will know that we are not joking. People take the south for granted saying that they are not together, no problems. If we didn’t know yesterday, today we know.
“We are assets. We are not liability. When we say we are going to support the party, we support the party with everything we have. We are not in America where you do television campaign. When we come out, we will choke them. They know it. So, everybody should relax, let the south do their homework and then they’ll make a proper statement.
“Forget about Chief Dokpesi; with all due respect, Dokpesi people are trying to destroy the party which is not good. If we follow the kind of statements that Dokpesi is making everyday, by now, the party would have been destroyed. But, we said no.”
Wike said he would never anoint any person to succeed him, but would be praying to God to give to the state that kind of person who will move the state to the next level.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has has blamed the inordinate greed to convert Rivers State aircraft and other valuable assets to personal possession for the failure of the Governor Chibuike Amaechi-led administration not to formally handover to him in 2015.
Wike also challenged those who served in the Amaechi administration who have a contrary view to present documents that there was no plan to convert Rivers State assets to personal use.
The governor stated this while briefing political stakeholders at Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, on some of the state assets, including the Legacy 600 jet recovered in Munich, Germany, by his administration.
He recalled that recently some Rivers State indigenes went on a radio station in Port Harcourt to challenge the state government to give account of the gas turbine, helicopter, Legacy 600 jet and Dash 8 propeller aircraft purchased by the administration of former Governor Peter Odili.