From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyeesom Wike, yesterday, said he has re-approved Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign to hold its rally on February 11.
He spoke at Ogu Mini Stadium, venue of the Rivers State PDP campaign in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area, yesterday.
“This morning after appeal from people who talked to me, I have given them back Adokiye Amiesimaka. Go and campaign. Let it not be that because they didn’t campaign, that is why they didn’t win in Rivers State.”
The governor said Siminialayi Fubara remains the authentic PDP candidate as the Supreme Court on Tuesday, dismissed appeal brought before it by Farah Dagogo, with claims to be the gubernatorial candidate. He maintained that there was no disputation over the candidature of Fubara.
The governor said he had to make the explanation because of the apprehension that some party members had expressed sequel to rumours that there was a plot to replace Fubara as gubernatorial candidate of the party in Rivers State.
He mocked plotters against the interest of the state, saying he was always ahead of them and urged them to also return home to implement their plot.
“Supreme Court dismissed the appeal by Farah. I can tell you there is nothing we do not know about what they want to plot from the up. If you plot finish, come down and implement it,” he said.
He also wondered the basis of the claim by Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the PDP, who, on Monday, claimed hey were reaching out to the G-5 governors.
According to him, Ayu lied when he also claimed one of the G-5 governors visited him at his residence.
Governor Wike insisted that neither he or any G-5 governor went to the residence of Ayu.
“They are who they are and this is not the first time such insinuation has been made, but that the G-5 governors would win the battle in PDP at the end of the day.
“Nobody can blackmail us. We’ll never go and meet anybody. We are who we are. This is not the first time we have battled. This battle we will win at the end of the day,” Wike said.
To Wike, he and his colleague in the G-5 were determined not to allow any person to chase them away from a party that they have built.
“We have gone to court against them. We are not running away from them, all our candidates went to court, our party went to court. I went to court too. We’ll stay here and we’ll battle it. We are not going to run away from anybody.
“Are we going to run away from armed robbers? It’s not possible. You can’t chase us away from the house we built. Rather, we’ll chase you out because you are used to running away.”
Campaigning for Fubara, Wike said the consolidation team will continue with his development strides and consolidate on the gains made by him.
He said like other promises that he fulfilled, his administration has paid 50 per cent for the Eteo-Ogu Road and awarded the contract for the construction of Eli Landing Jetty, which were demands their leaders made when they met with him on January 14.
These, he noted, were in addition to other projects like Ogu sand filling project, Bolo-K-Dere link bridge, Kpogo-Wakama Road, Bolo Internal Roads and the rebuilding of government secondary school, Ogu, which was demolished by former governor Chibuike Amaechi.
Fubara assured his administration will work with critical stakeholders, including traditional leaders to maintain the peace, which will engender development.
Specifically, he said he would do more land reclamation for them, provide rural electrification and ensure there are, what he called better school system and facilities to promote quality education for them.
Rivers State Chairman of PDP, Desmond Akawor, presented party’s flags to the candidates and urged the people of Ogu/Bolo to deliver winning votes to all PDP candidates.