Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has asserted that he is not in any way surprised that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council opted to put off its earlier scheduled rally in the state.
Wike submitted that the decision by the PDP presidential campaign council in Rivers was not unexpected because none of the members has the political clout and sagacity to mobilise an encouraging number of supporters for the rally.
The governor made this known while speaking on Monday at the State PDP rally in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area where he addressed some other political and development issues.
He described those in charge of the campaign of his party’s flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar as not having the political capacity to mobilise supporters in Rivers.
Read Also: 2023: PDP Tackles Wike, Accuses Him Of Anti-Party Activities
Wike and four other PDP governors in the southern region of Nigeria had for months demanded the resignation of PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu as a precondition to support Atiku’s presidential ambition in the February 25 poll.
Spokesman for the Council, Senator Lee Maeba, alleged, yesterday, the decision followed Governor Nyesom Wike‘s desire to scuttle the rally.
According to Maeba said: ‘Recall that because Atiku did not choose Wike as his vice presidential candidate, which he lobbied for, it resulted in his forming and leading a rebel group, known as G-5 or integrity group, purposely working against the candidate of the party.’
He listed attacks allegedly carried out by Wike against Atiku’s supporters since he failed to clinch his desired political positions.
Some of the attacks, according to him, include the sealing of a filling station belonging Chinyere Igwe; the hospitality business premises of Jones Ogbonda and Ike Chinda.
‘On February 5, 2023, 31 members of the Atiku Support Group were arrested during their meeting in Port Harcourt, arraigned and remanded at the Correctional Centre in Port Harcourt on trumped-up charges of unlawful assembly, conspiracy and cultism. They have been given March 23, 2023 as return date, to keep them out of the election,‘ he said.
He added: ‘In the light of the above submission, we, the state Campaign Council, in total constructive engagement with the National Presidential Campaign Council, the candidate and the party, having seen and evaluated the bodily harm and hurt and potential death, believes no loss of human life can be tolerated or accepted before, during and after the election and agreed with our principals on the need to shelve and or cancel the rally to avoid any danger.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that there has been unrest in the Rivers State polity ahead of the elections.