By Chinelo Obogo
Posters and photographs of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, were missing on the party’s branded vehicles as the Rivers State chapter of the party kicked off its campaign, yesterday.
The development at the party campaign council secretariat, located along Woji Road in GRA, Port Harcourt, was a confirmation that crisis within the party is yet to abate. The state campaign council, has former state PDP chairman, Felix Obuah as director-general while Governor Wike is chairman.
Wike, along with other governors including Governors Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, have demanded that Ayu should resign and his replacement chosen from the South before they would support Atiku’s campaign.
Speaking during the flag off, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said he would not campaign for Atiku because he appointed enemies of the state into his campaign council. He said they would only campaign for the party’s governorship candidate, the senatorial candidates, and others who carried them along.
“If they want us to be involved in the campaign, they will come and tell us. If he (Atiku) thinks we are important, they will come and meet us,” the governor maintained, adding that nobody can intimidate Rivers when he is still governor of the state.
He pointed to how the PDP presidential candidate picked people from Rivers State as members of the presidential campaign council without any input from him, which means they did not want the state to be part of what they were doing.
“The presidential candidate entered Rivers State and picked those he wants to pick without the contribution of the governor. So, they said they don’t need me to campaign for them, they don’t need Rivers people to campaign for them. Will you force yourself on them?” I have never seen how people will disrespect a state like Rivers State and go and choose those who are enemies of the State, without the contribution from us. So, let’s campaign for those who have told us to campaign for them here in the state, the governorship candidate, the senatorial candidates and others.”
Governor Wike decried how the state had been treated in the past despite the bulk votes delivered to the PDP since 1999. According to him, people could not continue to demand for Rivers votes and yet be unwilling to accommodate its interest.
“Politics is a game of interest. If nobody accommodates the interest of Rivers State, then we have nothing to do with such people. If you say that you have no interest in Rivers State, Rivers State will not have your own interest. It is only those who like us that we will like
“I have told people who care, Rivers State has voted PDP since 1999. Of this support we have given since 1999 till now, can you mention one thing that we have gotten in this State? Can you mention one road that we have gotten. All they care is to use to Rivers State to bring votes, after brining votes, you push us aside. That will not happen again.”
He told members of the campaign council to have a different mindset because the strategies to be adopted for the 2023 election would not be like what they had known.
He stated that PDP in Rivers State had done well for the people, with such feat attested to by President Muhammadu Buhari, which made it more difficult for any party to have a chance of winning the election in the State.
Governor Wike boasted that the state was the envy of others because of his remarkable achievements in office, which would be beneficial to all PDP candidates during campaign.
The governor said he had directed the release of N50 billion to contractors handling projects in the State to enable then speed up work. He assured that more projects such as the Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diagnosis Treatment Centre, the eighth and ninth flyover bridges, phase one of the Trans-Kalabari road, Saapkenwa – Bori-Kono road among others would be inaugurated soon.
The alternate chairman of the Rivers PDP campaign council, Ferdinand Alabraba, said they were determined to do their best to deliver the consolidation team of the New Rivers Vision.
He noted that the transformation Rivers State had experienced under Wike since 2015 has further endeared the PDP to the people, adding that he has given them a headstart above other political parties.
Alabraba said the members of the council would work hard to deliver all 32 candidates of House of Assembly, 13 members for House of Representatives, the three senatorial candidates and the gubernatorial candidate.
State chairman of the PDP, Desmond Akawor, described the day as the start of the process of bringing on board a new team of leaders in the State.
The campaign council, Akawor said, would confidently navigate the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers State, showing the people the completion certificates of projects that Governor Wike has delivered in those areas as a proof of what the new team shall continue to do for the State.