Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has mocked the ousted national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, who was said to have danced when the National Executive Council, NEC, of the party passed vote of confidence on Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the embattled PDP national chairman.
Wike said the decision by NEC would not dissuade him and others from insisting that the prevailing structural imbalance within party must be addressed.
The governor spoke at the 11th Hour homecoming and reception organised for defectors from various political parties to PDP in Rivers State, which held at the Isaac Boro Park in Port Harcourt on Saturday.
“I was listening and watching, they said there is one man they call Secondus. They said he was dancing, celebrating that NEC gave their person vote of confidence. He forgets history. Ask him the same NEC through Aliyu Babangida moved a motion of vote of confidence supported by the same person, Ndudi Elumelu. They gave you (Secondus) a vote of confidence, what happened? You left office.
“We don’t fight and go back. If you like you can have as many 20 votes of confidence, it’s not my business. My business is to make sure the right thing is done, and the right thing must be done. Whether today or tomorrow.”
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He said despite the heightening political aligning and negotiations that are going on, his administration has not abandoned governance in the state.
The governor explained that it was the love that he had for the state that had made him to remain devoted to providing good governance until the last day of his tenure.
“I’m not going to play party with the interest of my people. Rivers State is paramount to me first before any other person or group.
“So, the eyes can see what we have done. Up till today, we have never abandoned governance. So many people are already rounding off, taking the last they have but yet, we are still committed in commissioning, and flagging off projects.
“Because of the love we have for our people, we will continue to serve you till May 29, when by the grace of God, Siminialaye Fubara will be inaugurated the governor of Rivers State.”
Governor Wike commended the defectors for their courage to rejoin their political family “because it is true that there is no other political party that can win election in Rivers State except the PDP.”
“PDP is a household name in Rivers State. Let me assure you that we will all work with you. Nothing like somebody who has been there since and somebody who has just come back. The more the merrier.
“So, all of us must put hands together to make sure our governorship candidate, the National Assembly candidates, the House of Assembly candidates, at least from Rivers State, we return them 100 per cent. That’s our primary duty.”
The governor dismissed efforts by other political candidates as mere attempt to appear on the ballot because, according to him, there was no hope of winning for them.
Governor Wike enthused that the chance of winning that PDP had was hinged on the fact that the party and his administration had served to protect the interest of the state courageously.
“If God gives you the ticket of PDP in this state, go home and sew your cloth for the inauguration day.
“What will any Rivers man or woman be saying that he or she wants to vote for any other person in Rivers State. As a party, we have kept faith with our people. As a party we have stood for our people. As a party, we have never allowed intimidation from any quarter and that is what we are talking about the interest of Rivers State.
“Remember, before I came on board, one state had our property with them. As I came in as governor, with support and prayer of our people we took all our property back.”
Governor Wike added that a new strategy will be adopted for the coming political season in which political ‘bigmen’ will be replaced with people who are domicile among their people in various communities.
According to him, those who were domicile with their people would be utilised to deliver their units and wards during the general elections.
Rivers State chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor, said the party was presenting a certificate to acknowledge excellence performance of Governor Wike because he had surpassed their expectations.
Ambassador Akawor stated that the defectors from the other political parties had witnessed the unequal transformational performance of Wike in office.
He listed the establishment of the Nabo Graham Douglas campus of Nigerian Law School in the State, the Real Madrid Academy and Dr. Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases Diagnostics and Treatment Centre among other reputable projects for the reasons why the defectors had returned to the PDP.
