…Governor warns Dokpesi
Onyedi Igwe, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has warned that nobody can undermine the interest of the South in deciding who emerges the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike, who spoke during a meeting of stakeholders of the PDP in Rivers State at Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, dismissed individuals who claim they are consulting stakeholders across the country to declare their interest in the race. He said the south would make a bold statement on their position at the appropriate time.
“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.
“It’s not to come out to say you’re consulting. You’re consulting, yet, you’ve declared. Is it not after consultation that you declare. You’ve already declared and you say you’re consulting. What are you consulting again then? And people take the South for granted saying that they are not together. No problems. If we don’t know yesterday, today we know.”
The governor said Southern Nigeria, and particularly Rivers State, was an enduring asset to the PDP and could not be treated with levity.
“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”, he said.
“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”, he added.
Wike explained that since PDP remained an opposition party every member should forge unity within the party, build greater team spirit and protect it from those planning to sow seeds of discord.
He said those planning to use money to overwhelm the process of internal democracy, and buy off the ticket, would be disappointed.
He said: “What is necessary is how the party must be cohesive. To make sure that the party gets it right. Then when you threaten that it must be north then you’re not trying to make peace or when you threaten you must be south you’re not trying to make peace. It’s a matter of sitting down and understanding; look at this and that. That is the way it’s suppose to be.
“Forget about Chief Dokpesi. With all due respect, Dokpesi is one of the people 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.”
Speaking on those Wike wishing to succeed him as Governor of the state, he said they must be willing to build on the current standard of governance in the state. He said:
“I am not anointing anybody. All I’ve said to God is that he should help me get a better person that will move this state forward. I urge all of you to be calm. It is still early for us to say it must be this person or that person.”
