Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has said that the ongoing campaigns for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state does not include the party’s presidential candidate.
The reason, Governor Wike said, was that there was yet no understanding brokered for such level of support to be given by the state.
Governor Wike spoke in Bonny Town during the local government campaign flag-off rally that was organised by the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council on Tuesday.
The Rivers State governor told Bonny people: “Go home and have it in your mind that the PDP in Rivers State, we have taken governorship, we have taken the senatorial, we have taken the House of Representatives and we have taken the House of Assembly.
“Those are the elections we are doing here. These are the ones (candidates) who told me to come and campaign for them. No other person told me to campaign for him.
“I can’t force myself to campaign for you when you have not asked for it. These ones (candidates) have told me, so, I’ve come here to campaign. If somebody asks you to work for him, you’ll work for him. But if they don’t want you to work for them, will you force them?”
Governor Wike pointed out that anybody who said Rivers State was inconsequential would suffer repercussion for ignoring it.
The governor enjoined all residents in the state to be rest assured that no intimidation and propaganda that could cause a distraction from the political path that had been so chosen.
“Any person who says Rivers State is not important, we will pepper him. Anybody who says he doesn’t regard Rivers State, we would not regard such person.
“There’s nothing like propaganda, nothing like intimidation because nobody can intimidate us. We are very, very solid. We are very strong.
“No state can point at us to determine what will happen here. Nobody can do such. So, be bold to say, I’m from Rivers State, I live in Rivers and I am happy with Rivers. What is important is our state which we have collected.”
Governor Wike said it was ludicrous for the All Progressives Congress, APC, to campaign in the state based on the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari, who is their leader, had already adjudged PDP in Rivers as the best in infrastructure delivery in the country.
In his address, Rivers State governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, listed three areas in Bonny that his administration would pay attention to when elected eventually on March 11, 2023.
They are issues of security, construction of internal roads that will further address perennial flooding in the area and protection of the traditional institution.
“We have protected your traditional institution to show that we are people who understand, recognise and appreciate institutions.
“So, our campaign here today is very simple. We will ensure that we sustain the peace that is in Bonny. Everything that we need to do to make sure that you continue to enjoy this peace, we will do so that the IOCs operating here will continue to operate.”
Fubara solicited votes and assured that his administration would consolidate what Wike’s administration had achieved and continue to deliver services that would make living pleasurable in the state.
