January 02, (THEWILL) – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has refuted reports that he along with his Benue State counterpart, Samuel Ortom, frustrated the micro-zoning of the presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the South-East geopolitical zone.
The Governor said he had always believed and supported concerted efforts towards ensuring that the presidency was zoned to the South.
Wike spoke at Itu Bridge Head, in Itu community, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, venue of the flag-off of the Akpabu-Odido Road project on Monday.
“I was one of those who led the campaign that the party’s chairmanship should go to the North because I believe the presidency should go to the South.
“I attended meetings of Southern Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties from Delta to Lagos to Enugu States, where we agreed that the presidency should come to the South,” he said.
The Governor insisted that while the Southern cross-party consultations were going on, there were people in the PDP, who were bent on frustrating the eventual zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South.
Wike maintained that such people cannot turn around now to blame him and the Benue State Governor to hide their scheme thinking they could deceive Nigerians.
“I woke up this morning and read where they said how Wike and Ortom frustrated PDP’s micro-zoning of the presidential ticket to the South-East. That was what the PDP presidential candidate Atiku said.
“I keep on saying, they’ll be contradicting themselves, telling lies up and down, thinking that Nigerians don’t know. How can they say that I influenced Ortom, told him to allow and throw the ticket open?
“Nigerians know those who are opposed to zoning of the party’s chairmanship first. And when the zoning committee was set up, this time, Atiku had gone to buy form to frustrate the recommendation of the zoning committee. So that when they have bought form, they could say, oh, there is no need of zoning. Will you tell people to withdraw?
“Yes, you don’t like Ortom, no problem. I know my own, you don’t like me, no problem. But I, my state gave you the highest support in 2019 both with logistics and by votes.
“You can’t deceive every Nigerian again. What I have stood for are equity, fairness and justice. So, saying that I and Ortom frustrated PDP micro-zoning to the South-East is neither here nor there. They know that they don’t want the presidency to come to the South,” he said.
Wike also mocked the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, over the endorsement of Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Wike said a bad product is always difficult to sell, otherwise, his former boss, Obasanjo would have recommended him to Nigerians having worked together with him.
The Governor insisted that if former President Obasanjo had refused to recommend Alhaji Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong.
Commenting on the road project, Governor Wike expressed gratitude to God that the Odido community will get a modern road for the first time in its history during his administration.
The Governor boasted that given the overwhelming joy expressed by the Odido people, it was difficult to believe that they will cast their votes for candidates of another party other than the PDP.
Describing the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dr George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo, said the Akpabu-Odido road also has a 22-meter-long bridge.
According to him, with the contractor already mobilised to the site about two months ago, the project will be completed within the agreed five-month period.
This, he said, will enable members of the community to drive on road for the first time into their homestead, enjoy associated development, gain easy access to their farms and improve commercial life.
In his address, the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Dr. Chidi Lloyd, said the Odido community is an island that has never seen asphalted road and is not linked to any neighbouring community.
With the flag-off and commencement of actual construction work, Dr. Lloyd enthused that it will be the end of the ordeal Odido people usually suffer.
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