EKO HOT BLOG reports that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has clarified that he did not openly support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, during the February 25 election because no one discussed Igbo presidency with him.
The Governor made this known during a meeting with members of the socio-political group, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, in Port Harcourt on Thursday, March 9.
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The Publicity Secretary of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Dr Alex Ogbonnia, stated on Friday, March 10, in Enugu that Wike expressed surprise that Ohanaeze was on a fact-finding mission and would explain his role in the presidential election. He also stated that the issue of presidency to the Southeast was never on the table during the meetings of the Southern Governors Forum.
Wike explained that the Southern Governors Forum first met at Asaba and agreed that power must shift to the South after President Muhammadu Buhari. He added that the governors later met in Enugu in September 2021 to reaffirm their position for power to shift to the South.
Throughout the meetings, “the issue of presidency to the Southeast was never on the table,” Wike said.
Wike also expressed disappointment that during the PDP presidential primary election, several well-known people from the Southeast betrayed him and sabotaged the Southern interest by voting for a candidate from the northern part. He added that his unalloyed commitment to the South motivated him “to provide logistics for Obi when he was in Rivers for the presidential campaign’’.
However, he refused to provide a campaign ground for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of his own Peoples Democratic Party. Wike stated that:
“what is circulating in the social media is the handiwork of Wike’s adversaries. I am a man with the courage of my convictions and have no reasons to tell lies or to owe an apology to anyone. I am always ready to defend my actions any day and at any time, and I did not rig the presidential election against Obi.”
It will be recalled that during the February 25 election, Governor Wike did not openly support the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, despite the clamor from some quarters for an Igbo presidency.
The Governor’s actions were criticized by some members of the public who believed that he did not do enough to support the Southeast region.
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