The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has taken a swipe at those who condemn Muslim-muslim ticket without seeing anything wrong in a Northerner succeeding Buhari as President of Nigeria in 2023.
Governor Wike stated this at the special dedication service for the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP campaign rallies ahead of the 2023 general elections held at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt.
Wike noted that those who engage in such double – speak in a bid to hoodwink the electorate are insulting the sensibility of well meaning Nigerians who desire a united country that is pleasantly disposed to peace, unity and national cohesion.
“You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for Muslim-Muslim ticket, I agree. But Nigeria is ripe for presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, just look at the insult. You blow hot and cold at the same time”.
He further urged those who delightfully condemn the muslim-muslim ticket as wrong, to know that Nigerians are also saying that it is wrong to retain the presidency in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari’s 8 year tenure.
“Most of you just sit there, you don’t ask yourselves questions. Somebody continues to sell this kind of cheap ideas. You don’t ask the person, I agree with what you are saying but look at what we are also saying”.
He further added, “Your party wants the presidency to go to the same zone where President Muhammadu Buhari comes from. Who is cheating who?”
The Rivers State governor also reminded the church of the need for it to participate fully in the voting process. He however, said, it should not get involved to the extent of serving as cannon fodder against any political party or political actor.
Governor Wike pleaded with the church to be careful and resist those politicians who come to mobilise them as if there is a religious war to wage.
“It is not now that politics have come, that you want to come and tell the church a different story for your own personal interest. We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because, for example, we are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that.”
Meanwhile, governor Wike also warned that his administration will not allow those who in the past, instigated wanton destruction of lives and property in the State under the guise of politics to repeat same.
He appealed to members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in the State to resist deliberate attempt by some disgruntled and inconsequential politicians to provoke them ahead of the 2023 general elections.
He described as ludicrous and cheap blackmail the allegation by Dr. Abiye Sekibo and some of his associates that the State government recently sent thugs to attack them.
“Some people are saying that we sent thugs to attack them. You see, when people see failure, they will begin to plan excuses. These are people all of us know. We know our background and how we had won elections in our various local government area. I remember one of them during the last election could not even go to his local government. He ran down to Port Harcourt and stayed with me. Instead of you to tell your principal, this will be difficult for me, you are giving excuses.”
The governor who emphatically declared that he has never engaged in any acts of political violence all through his political career, warned those who might be planning to plunge the State into chaos to have a rethink.
“Anybody who knows me knows, that I have never been violent. If I am violent, I won’t go to court. But we know those who started killings in this State when they were Secretary to government. We know them, but that killing will not happen again in the State. We will not give them the opportunity to try it again.”
Governor Wike explained that the reason Dr Sekibo and his associates are begrudging him is simply because he did not support their ambition to get the PDP governorship ticket.
On the issue of Executive Orders 21 and 22, the governor advised politicians in the State to approach the court rather than taking the laws into their hands. He insisted that until the court declares otherwise, the government will ensure full implementation of the orders.
“The Federal Government has come up with so many Executive Orders, we didn’t kill anybody, we rather went to court to challenge such orders. The Federal Government has done a lot of things that Rivers state had challenged in court, and by the grace of God, we won.
“If there is anything any government has done which you feel you are not comfortable with, you should to go to court and challenge it, and not just to come out to shout they don’t want you to campaign. Why will anybody not want you to campaign”.
Governor Wike declared that there was nothing wrong with the PDP dragging other political parties to court over their failure to comply with the guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission. According to him, litigations are part of Nigeria’s electoral process.
“When I know you have made mistake in your bid to contest election, should I leave you? All we are saying is that INEC should comply with the law. You made us to comply with the law. Why are these people not complying with the law. Why should you allow us to pass through the process we passed through and you did not allow these other people to pass through that process. We said look, this is what the law says. INEC, its is like you are being partial. It is like you are applying this law differently to different persons.”
In his sermon, the Cathedral Archdeacon of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Venerable Obinna Ochulor spoke on the topic; “God our refuge” and exhorted the congregation to always acknowledge the infallibility of God.
He pointed to how people often rush to the altar of God to make vows when they are either experiencing critical situations but refuse to return to fulfil them when they have triumphed.
While vows are important to be fulfilled, he admonished the congregation and particularly the PDP family to trust in God as their defence and shield so that they can enjoy his protection from all shades of evil.
