For the embattled camp of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, an honest piece of advice came in handy yesterday from a rival to the 2023 presidential race, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Atiku has been advised in many quarters to take the camp of rebel governors in the G5 garb more seriously but observers note that the Wazirin Adamawa is treating matters with kid gloves.

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has been harping that what Nigeria needs in the race to the 2023 presidential race is a unifier that will drive the affairs of governance without any form of segregation.

He had a soul traveller yesterday in the multiply-decorated presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Kwankwaso, a former defence minister, senator, two-time governor of one of Nigeria’s largest states (Kano), and board member of the apex regulatory commission in the Nigerian oil industry, who now wants to be president too from the northern firmament like Atiku.

An opportunity came yesterday for the Rivers State governor to get a supporter in the water engineer, Kwankwaso.

It was at the inauguration of the Mgbuitanwo internal road in the Emohua Local Government Area of the riverine state by Kwankwaso.

Wike expressed grave concern about how the diversity of the country has been grossly threatened by those who, he said “have resorted to campaign based on ethnic and regional sentiment”.

Wike noted that such parochial tendency will make Nigerians more divided along religious and ethnic lines than ever before.

He stated further that members of his newly transformed ‘Integrity Group’ are resolved “to do what is right always as long as it will help to advance the country”.

Kwankwaso commended Wike for engaging Julius Berger Nigeria PLC to deliver the best quality of roads in a rural community.

Such a gesture, the ex-defence minister speaks of a leader who loves his people and is doing his best to better their lot across sectors, including the provision of quality educational infrastructure.

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It is not hard to read the language of the former Kano State governor.

He stressed that those who are undermining the capability of the PDP G-5, particularly Wike, are doing so to their peril politically because Rivers State, like Kano, and Lagos, is critical to winning any election in the country.

The NNPP presidential candidate described members of the Wike-led Integrity Group as “good people who will continue to do the right thing, and will be judged by posterity based on what they do.”

On his part, Wike had further stated, “It is not to say, don’t vote for a Yoruba man, don’t vote for an Igbo man. That is not what we require in this country now. What we require is a man who will put Nigeria together. We of Integrity Group will continue to support whatever is right, whatever will help this country.”

He explained that he had tried in vain to persuade leaders of the leading opposition party in Nigeria not to allow Kwankwaso not to leave the PDP because of the strategic importance of Kano State, without success.

Wike told his guest at the inauguration, “When you wanted to leave PDP, I came to your house in Abuja. I said, sir, don’t leave the party. I pleaded with you. I came two times. Those who never meant well for this party, who will want to take control where they never sowed.  They said no, leave Kwankwaso to go.

“Who is he? Let him go, after all, I was a Senate President when he was Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. I said no, he is an asset to the party in Kano State. Kano is very important to our party, therefore, whatever it takes, let’s keep him, let’s manage him. They said to let him go.

“I said the more, the merrier.  We are the opposition party, we cannot continue to drive our people away. Whoever is angry, let’s keep him, they said no. They said I went to see Kwankwaso, I said yes because I know with him in Kano, there is a likelihood that it will be better for us. But if we allow him to go, the repercussions will be too heavy. They said no. Kwankwaso left us.”

The Rivers State governor argued that Kwankwaso, as the NNPP presidential candidate and former governor of Kano State, is a man of integrity, ranking among leaders that Nigeria needs.

According to him, the NNPP presidential candidate had assured him that his supporters who are still in PDP will vote for him during the PDP presidential primary, and they did.