Atiku’s running mate: How Rivers elders ganged-up against me – Wike

 

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has revealed how some elders of the State ganged up against him because they didn’t scale through the primary to be the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Wike explained that some of them, who indicated interest to fly the party’s flag but failed, went to mobilise in Abuja to make sure that he did not emerge as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the PDP.

The governor disclosed this during the 74th birthday reception organised to honour a former governor of Rivers, Dr. Peter Odili, at his residence in Old Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt, on Monday.

Wike said, “On my last birthday, 12 midnight, one of our elders called me saying that they want to see me. They came to me and said they came to wish me a happy birthday.

“Then, they presented me with a letter that I should run for President. All of them, including Dr. Abiye, signed the document.

“I said ‘okay, you people too should go and give me someone who will be governor after me.’ They all sat there, looking left and right.

“I asked them, ‘those of you who are interested to be governor should raise your hands.’ Everybody raised their hand. One person didn’t raise his hand, Senator Bari Mpigi.

“I asked why he was not interested, he replied, ‘sir, let me hold what God has given me. I don’t want to lose the two.”

Wike added, “Some people don’t know the history. They go and tell all kinds of stories. But the truth is this: all of them (elders) signed the document prepared by O.C.J. Okocha that whoever I will bring, they’ll abide by it.

“But now, they went to Abuja, that I must not be vice president. I also read yesterday when I was in Paris, one of them saying that I told him that if they do to me what they did to Dr. Odili, that I’ll collapse the system.

“I’m not an ungrateful person and I’ll never be ungrateful in my life. What is important is that I’ve done well as a governor. I’m happy and I am leaving the office a happy man.”