Ahead of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) primaries, Rivers Gov. Nyesom Wike on Sunday visited Makurdi, Benue capital, and publicly declared to run for president in 2023.
Addressing some national delegates of the party at the Government House, Makurdi, Wike canvassed their support and vote in the forthcoming party primary.
Persecondnews reports that Wike’s entry into the race has swelled the number of presidential aspirants in PDP.
So far, Sokoto Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki had declared their intention to run.
According to Wike, he possesses what it takes to turn around the country for the better.
“My contributions to the party over the years are good enough to get the party support,” he said, urging the party delegates to be mindful of some presidential aspirants who claimed to be the founding fathers of the party and those flaunting their father’s wealth.
“They are the ones responsible for the defeat of the party in 2015 elections.
“Let these people who are interested in the presidency in PDP tell us their contributions, you claimed to be one of the founding fathers of the party, but you have left and come back, you have become an ordinary person in the new PDP.
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“If you form a company and run away because the company is not doing well you come back and found that it is now doing well and you want to come and take over.
“Some people want to use Nigeria to get back their private businesses, let them mention their private sector that survived. Is it a bank that your father had?
“Everybody is an employer of labour, even me I have 50 people in my house, so everybody has been employing people according to his capacity.
“In 2015, most of these people made us (PDP) lose the election.”
Wike, as part of his credentials, said he had always spoken truth to power, declared: “I have spoken truth to power, I don’t have problem with anybody but I have to tell them the truth. Umahi and others abused me because I told him that he cannot take our mandate away.
“As a governor, I have performed well, I can go anywhere with my shoulder high, how many of them have challenged this government (APC)?”
Also speaking at the occasion, Benue Gov. Samuel Ortom noted the contributions of Wike to Benue State, especially during the herdsmen invasion in 2018.
“The state will reciprocate by supporting his aspiration. Periodically, you have been helping us, particularly during the 2018 crisis in the state.
“We will support your aspiration because you have sown seed and you need to reap.
“I have been an advocate of Southern presidency….on the Southern presidency, I stand,” he said.
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