The Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, has explained that the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, left the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Labour Party, because of moves by some politicians in the PDP to ensure power remained in the north.
Wike, who said he feels satisfied that power has moved to the south insisted that he never worked against Obi in the 25th February 2023 presidential election.
Wike spoke, Thursday, when he hosted on a courtesy visit, the National Executive Committee of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, at Government House in Port Harcourt, according to a statement by the governor’s assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri.
He said he was a major proponent of a Southern president, explaining that Obi’s decision to leave the party when Sule Lamido told him (Obi) that power would remain in the north in 2023.
Wike said:
“I supported that power must come to the south. When Obi came here, I gave him all the logistics; vehicles, and other support and paid for the stadium, but some other persons applied and I refused. You should know me too well by now.”
“Obi was running with us. I knew when Obi left. He was principled and he said he can’t stand it, people should say the truth. He went to see Sule Lamido in Jigawa, not in Dutse, but in a village that will take you more than four or five hours drive from Dutse the capital.
“You know what he told Obi? He didn’t tell him that look, you came late and I have chosen somebody. He said it is the north that will produce the next president. That was how Obi left saying why is he wasting time. Ask him, that’s how he left PDP.”
“And that was what I saw at the convention ground. Within minutes, knowing that I was going to win, your sons were all the ones who did everything and sabotaged me. I said ok, no problem.
“But I still maintained that look, if you have taken the presidential candidate you can’t take chairmanship again, give us back the chairman and I still stand by that and if you don’t do that whatever you see you take.”
However, the Deputy National Legal Adviser of Ohanaeze Ndi Igbo Worldwide, Dr. Peter Anele said Igbos have long sought to produce the president of Nigeria and they saw the last presidential election as an opportunity to clinch it.