•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Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has explained that the G-5 governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have withdrawn from talking regularly in public to embark on strategic actions in silence in order to achieve set goals.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 that, 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 on Tuesday.
The governor described Senator Lee Maeba, a member of the 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is time to always appear in public to indulge in talks, and having satisfactorily maximised that time, the group has withdrawn into silence to activate requisite political actions because February 25, 2023, is in view.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 25th February 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 the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in the State, as claimed by Abiye Sekibo, the Director-General of the group, governor Wike wondered why it is only Sekibo and his group raising false alarm about insecurity in Rivers State.
Governor Wike informed that both presidential candidates of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, had campaigned in the Rivers State, enjoyed logistics provided by the State government and never complained of any threat to life.
He also said that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, is expected to campaign in Rivers State on Wednesday, because the party had applied and gotten a venue approved for them without any of them complaining of insecurity or threat to their life.
Governor Wike, who insisted that Rivers State 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.
Governor Wike gave Sekibo 24 hours to tell the world what he knows about the death of Aminasoari Kala (AK) Dikibo, the former Vice Chairman, South-South of PDP.
Governor Wike 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 expected explanation, governor Wike said, should also include why late Justice Kayode Eso of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) 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 will not involve in blood letting activities and wondered the basis of Sekibo’s allegation of threat to life.
The governor pointed out that, in all political ramifications, he has always defeated Sekibo and his co-travellers since the 2007 and will continue to beat them to the game.
The governor, who enumerated the several projects executed by his administration in Ahoada- West, urged them to vote massively for the PDP governorship, National and State Houses of Assembly candidates.
Rivers State governorship candidate of the PDP, Siminialayi Fubara, expressed appreciation to the Ekpeye people for their large turnout and noted that it confirms their love for governor Wike and are ready to work for him.
Fubara stated that since they trust governor 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 the governor of the state after him.
He promised that 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, Rivers State chairman of PDP, Desmond Akawor, urged Ekpeye people to vote the best of the best that the party has chosen to contest the forthcoming 2023 general election.
In her speech, deputy governor of Rivers State, Ipalibo Banigo, who is also the candidate for Rivers West Senatorial District, spoke on behalf of other candidates and thanked the people for their overwhelming support.
She assured that they will remain resolute walking in the footsteps of governor Wike, attract more project to Ekpeye land and offer quality representation when they win.
On his part, the former Deputy Speaker of the House Of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche said no Ekpeye person will abandon the PDP and support any candidate of other parties.
Nwuche noted that Ekpeye people are grateful to governor Wike for the numerous projects executed in the area and enacting actual development of Rivers State.