Governor of Rivers State and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has vowed to stamp out banditry in the first six months of his presidency.
He assured that if elected president, his administration will provide the logistics and gadgets necessary for the security agencies to expeditiously end banditry in the country.
Governor Wike, speaking at a meeting in Abeokuta with PDP delegates from Ogun State on this month’s presidential primary of the party, said he will prioritise the protection of life and property of every Nigerian.
“Once there is insecurity you can’t do anything. You must have peace for investors to come in, for people to set up industries. So the basic thing in my first six months as president of Nigeria is to end banditry. All those bandits, let them wait for me. I will pursue them. It is my job. I will provide to security agencies whatever they require.”
Governor Wike maintained that due to the failure of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigerians are yearning for a strong, courageous and fearless leader like him to resolve the challenges facing the country.
The governor told the delegates that he is the only presidential aspirant that has never defected from the PDP since its formation in 1998 to another political party.
He, therefore urged the delegates to be circumspect as some of those vying for the PDP presidential ticket were among those who aligned with the APC to defeat the party in 2015.
“Today, we are suffering. We are in opposition. Who are those who plotted against us? Who are those who masterminded for us to lose the 2015 election? Today, we are crying that we are in opposition, today we are fighting how to take back power. Who are those people who took the power that PDP had and gave it to APC. You know them.”
Governor Wike reiterated that he remains committed to the ideals of PDP, and will never leave it to another political party under any circumstances.
“Whether I win the ticket or not, I will never leave PDP. I will support PDP, I will make sure PDP wins the election. I am not those when anything happens they run away from the party. I will not leave this party because everything I am today, it is PDP that has given it to me. So I owe PDP a lot.”
The presidential aspirant said he is not seeking the office of the president for personal aggrandisement, rather he wants to work for emergence of a new egalitarian, united and prosperous Nigeria.
“Nigeria has never been divided a country as is divided today. Our founding fathers never made mistake that there should be a country called Nigeria. God never made mistake that there should be a country called Nigeria.”
The Rivers State governor maintained that he remains the only person that can defeat the APC in the 2023 general election if given the PDP presidential ticket. According to him, previous attempts by the APC to rig elections in Rivers State had failed and will also fail if he becomes the PDP presidential candidate.
“Everywhere, Wike has taken over. Go to the north it’s Wike; go to the east, it’s Wike, go to the west, it’s Wike, go to the south, it’s Wike. Ogun state is Wike. Everybody, it’s Wike.”
Governor Wike accused some of the APC presidential aspirants of being unsympathetic to the plight of the abducted victims of the Kaduna train attack and Nigerian students, who have been at home due to the lingering Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike.
Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, urged the delegates to support the Rivers State governor to actualise his presidential aspiration.
He expressed optimism that Governor Wike will win the PDP’s ticket and subsequently the 2023 presidential election.
Kelvin Ebiri
Special Assistant on Media to the Governor of Rivers State.
May 14, 2022.
