No Governor Can Hijack the Structures of PDP, Says Wike

Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has stated that no single governor can hijack the structures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying those making insinuations to that effect are economical with the truth.

Speaking during a special appearance on Channels Television Sunrise Daily at the Government House, Port Harcourt, weekend, Wike said all governors are equal and work in unity for the stability of the PDP.

He stated that no governor can control party affairs in another state, which is not within his jurisdiction.

He said: “All governors are equal in the party. There is no single governor that can finance a political party as big as the PDP”.

Speaking on comments credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Wike said the former leader has left the PDP and destroyed his membership card and wondered why he is so interested in developments within the PDP.

The governor noted that the stability of the political party is not attained by financial muscle, but by the cooperation of all members.

Speaking further, the governor said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the present circumstances lacks the capacity to conduct credible elections.

He said beyond mere rhetoric, INEC should take concrete steps to convince Nigerians that they would improve on the conduct of elections.

Wike said the first step that INEC should take is to transparently investigate the printing of fake INEC result sheets by Rivers APC chieftains.

The governor added that INEC should further explain how the Police got original result sheets with same serial number of the Rivers East Senatorial District election, where INEC declared Senator George Sekibo winner, only for the police to tender a different result, relied upon by the court to declare APC winner in that election.

Commenting on the re-ordering of election sequence by the National Assembly, Wike said he believes it is not targeted at the President as some APC leaders have argued.

On projects delivery in Rivers State, he maintained that he has instituted a system to do away with the era of abandoned projects which he inherited from his predecessor.

He added that the State Government has reached out to all the 23 Local Government Areas with meaningful projects and in other cases, he has completed projects abandoned by the Amaechi administration.

“I am guided to execute projects that will be completed in four years. I will not start any project that will be abandoned”, he said.

He stated that his administration is actively promoting women participation in government and also empowering women. The governor noted that N500 million has been set aside as an empowerment scheme for Rivers women.

He reiterated that he has not been reached through official channels on the visit of the President. He noted that the communication line between the Presidency and the Rivers State Government is not through a press statement issued by Femi Adesina.

“If you are saying that the President is coming to commiserate with the families of the people who died on 1st January, 2018, I have no problems with that. Since 1st January, 2018, nobody has called to commiserate with the Rivers State Government. When the January 1 attack happened, APC leaders politicised the attack”, he said.

The governor noted that for close to three years, Rivers State has not benefitted from the APC Federal Government. He informed that the Ogoni clean-up has remained in the realm of rhetoric, while the Bodo-Bonny Road is about to be abandoned.

He stressed that the East West road, the Port Harcourt International Airport and other Federal Projects have been left unattended to, pointing out that in the coming days, political flag off and promises would be heightened around the neglected projects to hoodwink Nigerians.