While speaking yesterday during a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign in Port Harcourt, Wike said people of the state know who to support for the presidential election.
Governor Wike observed that he never told anybody that he was going to announce his preferred candidate on a television programme stressing that the G5 Governors were strategic in their mode of operation.
“I never told anybody one day, I will bring a camera and announce to you this is who will go. I said I will tell Rivers people the candidate they will support,” he said.
“I did not tell you the method of saying it. I did not tell you I will bring live coverage and say it. But Rivers people know.”
With this declaration yesterday, Governor Wike has finally laid to rest all the speculation about the choice of presidential candidate the PDP members in the state will vote for during the Presidential election, although he did not announce the name of the person in the public.
Also, Wike issued a stern warning to the police in the state to desist from supporting people who indulge in breaking the law in the state.
Governor Wike advised the State Police Command to rise to the occasion and safeguard the laws of the State in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
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According to him, if the command refuses, his administration will be compelled to direct officers of the Rivers State Neighborhood Watch Safety Corps to step in and ensure that the laws of the state are obeyed.
“And this is what I want to tell the Nigerian Police, Rivers State Command. You are the one supporting them to disobey the law to cause violence. Police, if you don’t want to do your duty, let us know. I will release our Neighborhood Watch Safety Corps instead.
“If you don’t do your work, we will take over your work from you. You cannot support people who are breaking the law. You know the truth of the matter. You are scared so that they don’t transfer you. Your duty is not to be permanent anywhere. As far as you are a security man you can be sent to anywhere, any day.”
Wike accused some political actors of disobeying the statutory laws of the State and yet alleging that they are being stopped from campaigning.
The governor said nobody is stopping any political group from campaigning, but if such political campaigns must be done within any public facility, then the required non-refundable security fee of five million naira must be paid.
“If you want to use a school facility or if you want to use our stadium, you’ll pay a certain amount of money so that if you destroy anything, the government will be in a position to use that money and rebuild whatever you have damaged. And they say they will not pay.”
The Governor insisted: “We as PDP (Peoples Democratic Party), we are in government, yet we are obeying the law. As we use here, we have paid the money to government coffer. How dare you, all these small, small associations. How dare you to say you will not obey the law? If you don’t pay, we will resist you.”
He recalled that these same people who were complaining were among those who used the military during the 2019 general election to scuttle the will of the people of Rivers State, but were fiercely resisted by the people.
He also took a swipe at Dakuku Peterside, the former Director General (DG) of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), whom he described as a political neophyte, for daring him to name his preferred presidential candidate.
He further added, “And let me also tell him, he does not understand the activities of G-5. I have told most people who don’t know, this fight we are fighting is like a gruella warfare. The more you look, the less you see.”
Rivers State governorship candidate of the PDP, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, who pleaded with the people of Port Harcourt to demonstrate their love for governor Wike by voting massively for PDP consolidation team, said he has been well nurtured to be a performing governor.
Fubara insisted that a vote for him means continuity and consolidation of the development trajectory of Governor Wike that has made Port Harcourt emerge as the best city in Nigeria under his leadership.
According to him, a massive vote from voters in the state will serve as a bold statement of support for him and the consolidation team, which will eventually shame Rivers politicians in Abuja for the betrayal role they have chosen to play.
In his speech, the member of Federal House of Representatives, Ken Chikere said the people of PHALGA are ready and determined to deliver all PDP candidates at the polls.
The Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, Ambassadors Desmond Akawor presented the flag of the party to the candidates of the party contesting various positions in the area.
Before going to the venue of the campaign flag-off rally, governor Wike and some chieftains of PDP stopped by at the palace of Eze Uche Isaiah Elikwu, the Eze Epara Rebisi XII, for a courtesy visit, wherein he introduced Sir. Siminialayi Fubara as the governorship candidate of the party.
