I Never Promised To Make Preferred Presidential Candidate Public – Wike

Governor Wike has claimed that he never promised to make his preferred presidential candidate public after reported endorsing Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress, APC.

NewsOnline reports that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has said he never told the public the method by which he would disclose the presidential candidate to vote for in the February 25 election.

This online newspaper understands that Governor Wike, who stated this yesterday at a campaign rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Port Harcourt, was responding to a statement by former director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside.

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Peterside had in the statement challenged the governor to go ahead and name his preferred presidential candidate if he was not afraid of sanctions from the leadership of the PDP.

He said, “You have the guts to tell me I should name my presidential candidate. Are we at the same level? Failure and success, are they the same?

“Look at the man who is always failing every day. He does not understand the activities of G5. I have told most people who don’t know, G5 that we’re fighting is like guerilla warfare. The more you look, the less you see.

“I never told anybody one day, I will bring a camera and announce to you this is who will go. I said I will tell Rivers’ people the candidate they will support. I did not tell you the method of saying it. I did not tell you I will bring live coverage and say it. But Rivers people know.

“Look at this small boy whom I flogged in 2015. I don’t know where they say he comes from – is it Abia or Opobo side, which of the areas? Envy! I flogged him out in 2015.

“He has not recovered from that. He thought they would give him a ticket in 2019, but he didn’t get [it]. They sent him to be NIMASA. Ask him, what did he bring for Rivers’ people?

“You have a position, you cannot help your people, and you’re coming out to open your mouth, simply because you didn’t get (the ticket) and they did not give you a second term to be DG of NIMASA.”

Meanwhile, NewsOnline reports that the Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike has allegedly declared his support for the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

This online newspaper recalls that Governor Wike after falling out with the People’s Democratic Party, PDP Candidate, Atiku Abubakar had said he would make his decision on who to support for presidency in January 2023.

He has been called out severally in the month for not keeping to his word but his response has always been that he didn’t specify the date he will be making the announcement.

This publication has it on good record that Rivers Governor has unveiled Tinubu as his choice candidate even though he hasn’t come out to say it publicly.

For months now, there have been pointers that he would work for Peter Obi as his online media aides have been canvassing votes for Peter Obi until yesterday when they all suddenly started campaigning for Tinubu, just a day after Wike revealed that he will be naming his preferred choice.

Also, in a video seen on twitter, the rivers state government has started mounting billboards for the APC Presidential candidate, recall that Wike noted that he will be going all out for his preferred choice.

Furthermore, reports has it that Governor Wike held a meeting with local government chairmen in Rivers state yesterday and ordered them to work for the APC to ensure a 25% worth of votes.

https://twitter.com/jacksonpbn/status/1620467580715802625?s=20&t=Pwgkp4nWm7AgBV3Q-kklbw

It is worthy of note that five aggrieved governors in the PDP, with Wike being the leader pulled out of the Atiku Abubakar campaign council because they want a southern president of the country.