In a veiled reference to the Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of his political party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Saturday said people of Rivers State will not vote a presidential candidate that will jail or kill him when elected into office.
Speaking on Saturday at the Obio-Akpor LGA campaign rally organised by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, Wike said Rivers will only vote for a presidential candidate that has the unity of Nigeria at heart.
Wike also commended the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for their stance on power shift to the south.
He said the APC governors’ position is proof that they understand the essence of Nigeria’s unity, and that every section should have the feeling of equal stake.
“We are going to vote for the unity of Nigeria. We are going to vote for equity, fairness and justice. And that is why I salute the APC governorship who came out to say, for this country to be united, for this country to move on as one, that there is the need for power to shift,” Wike said.
“We are going to vote for people who have the interest of our state. Time has passed when you will tell me that Rivers state only produces so and so number of votes. I have no problem about that. In return, what have we gotten?
“So, you must tell Rivers people now, if we vote for you, this is what you’ll have. Politics is you do for me, I’ll do for you. You fall for me, I’ll fall for you. If you push me, I’ll push you. If you love me, I’ll love you.
“From ward to ward in our local governments, they will tell you what we have decided. If you want me to survive politically, follow the way we are going.
“We will not support those who say when they come to power, they will kill me. We will not support those who say when they come to power, they will jail me. Will you allow them to kill me? Will you vote for those who do not want us to exist? Are you sure?”
Wike, however, did not categorically state the candidate he was referring to.
He and his G5 allies — including Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu — have excluded themselves from the party’s presidential campaign over calls for Iyorchia Ayu to step down as the party’s national chairperson.
