ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has maintained that the ongoing campaigns in the State for candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), excludes the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Wike said that members of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council will not campaign for Atiku because there was no understanding to warrant such support in the oil-rich state.
The Governor, who spoke in Bonny during inauguration of the Local Government Campaign by the Council, said: “Go home and have it on your mind that the PDP in Rivers State, we have taken governorship, we have taken the senatorial, we have taken the House of Representatives and we have taken the House of Assembly.
“That is the election we are doing here. These are the ones (candidates) who told me to come and campaign for them. No other person told me to campaign for him.
“I can’t force myself to campaign for you when you have not asked for it. These ones (candidates) have told me. So, I’ve come here to campaign. If somebody asks you to work for him, you’ll work for him. But if they don’t want you to work for them, will you force them?”
Wike, who is the leader of the Group of Five (G-5) Governors, said that anybody who said Rivers was inconsequential will suffer the repercussion for ignoring the State.
The Governor enjoined all residents in the State to rest assured that no intimidation and propaganda could cause a distraction from the political path that had been so chosen.
He said: “Any person who says Rivers State is not important, we will pepper him. Anybody who says he doesn’t regard Rivers State, we would not regard such person.
“There’s nothing like propaganda, nothing like intimidation because nobody can intimidate us. We are very, very solid. We are very strong.
“No State can point at us to determine what will happen here. Nobody can do such. So, be bold to say, I’m from Rivers State, I live in Rivers and I am happy with Rivers. What is important is our state, which we have collected.”