Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in his state will win the 2023 elections at state and federal legislative levels but that the State is yet undecided who it will vote for the Presidency.
The Governor, who spoke during the inauguration of 319 ward and 32 constituency liaison officers in Government House, Port Harcourt yesterday, October 31, said: “PDP will win our State. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Reps, Senate and State Assembly are concerned. The other one we have not decided until the right thing is done.”
The Governor also criticized a former Minister of Transport and Rivers Director, Atiku Supporters, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, saying he lacks the capacity to speak for the people of the State.
Wike described Sekibo as a self-seeking politician, who was unable to attract democratic dividends of any kind to the state and his Okirika hometown when he served as a Minister.
“I watched a video when one Dr. Abiye Sekibo, while he was addressing people in his house on Sunday, said he is the director of Atiku’s Supporters in Rivers. I have no problem about that. But he does not have that capacity to speak on behalf of Rivers State.
“In that video, he said that River State has been having a close relationship with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and that Rivers State has always benefitted from Atiku Abubakar. I want to correct one impression, Dr. Abiye Sekibo has a personal relationship with Alhaji Atiku, not Rivers State.
“Dr. Abiye Sekibo was Minister of Transport when Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was the Vice-President of Nigeria. Can you people mention one project in Okrika, I don’t even want to talk about Rivers State, in Ogu/Bolo, one project that he brought down to Rivers State. Is there anyone?”
Wike, a former Minister, said that leadership is not about personal aggrandizement, but serving the people, protecting their interests while building up others as competent successors.
The Governor said people like Dr. Sekibo is among those who were never satisfied with the fortunes they had enjoyed in life, otherwise, he should have been silent in the public sphere for his failure in leadership.
“I was a Minister, junior Minister in that matter. But I am proud to say anywhere I go to in this state (Rivers) ,I brought dividends of democracy to Rivers state.
“As a junior Minister, I brought the Oil and Gas Polytechnic to Rivers State which is sited in Bonny. There was no Faculty of Law at the University of Port Harcourt since the creation of that institution, but I brought it.
“As a Minister, I made sure Kenule Beeson Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic and the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, even if they are State’s institutions. I made sure they got grant of N500m each.”
