Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has denied claims by the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi that he worked against him in the February 25 presidential election in the state.
Speaking during a media chat with select journalists in Port Harcourt, Wike clarified that he had not betrayed Obi, and criticized him for being ungrateful after he helped him become Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2019 general elections, against the wish of some prominent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains.
‘I take exception to Peter Obi’s comments that I came out against him. People are not being sincere, people are not appreciative,’ Wike stated.
He went on to describe how he picked Obi to be the Vice Presidential candidate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and how he was fought by people like Ekweremadu, Umahi, and Pius Anyim. ‘Every blame was on me, why will I be the one that will say Peter Obi should go?’ Wike recalled.
The governor’s statement follows accusations from Nigerian youths that he had betrayed Obi following his loss to Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
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During the interview, Wike lashed out at the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, for failing to deliver his state, Benue, for the PDP. ‘What can the National Chairman tell me now when he could not deliver his state? He could not deliver his polling unit?’ Wike taunted Ayu.
Africa Today News, New York reports that going by INEC records, of the 12 states where Atiku garnered 6,984,520 votes, Benue was not captured for the PDP. Tinubu won the election, raking in 8,794,726 votes and securing significant numbers in several other states to emerge as president-elect.
Wike and Ayu have been at loggerheads following the former’s demand that the latter should relinquish his position. In the build-up to the February 25 presidential election, Wike’s G-5 failed to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.