The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said that many people will retire after the 2023 election, including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Newsonline reports that Governor Wike said the 2023 election would determine who has influence on the electorates in Rivers state, whether it is Atiku’s group or his group.
Nyesom Wike said this while speaking during the commissioning of the Rumukurishi flyover in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Wike, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and Samuel Ortom of Benue State, known as integrity group have been at dagger-drawn length with the PDP National Chairman, Ayu Iyorchia and Atiku since the end of the party’s convention in May 2022.
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Governor Wike and his integrity group members are calling for the resignation of Ayu from the national chairman position. Wike and his team’s position is based on alleged agreement the PDP chairman had with the Rivers state governor prior to the party’s presidential primary, which according to Wike, Ayu agreed he would resign from his position for a Southerner if a Northerner emerged as presidential candidate.
The alleged agreement was reportedly held in Abuja house of Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed. Since, the end of the May convention, Wike and his team have insisted that Ayu must resign from his position.
Wike said ” 2023 will confirm to us those that have an influence on voters. Those that their people will listen to and vote.”
In an indirect attack to the national leadership of the party and some state party stakeholders who have been planning on how to deliver the state for the former vice president, Wike added, “It is not only for you to be in Abuja and tell them whatever you’re telling them, come home because our Polling boots are not going to be in Abuja.
“This election will retire people in 2023. If they win us we will go, if we win them they will go. In fact they have already gone.”
