The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has said those who are advising Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, to ignore Rivers State votes do not wish him well in the 2023 general election.
Wike spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, during a live media chat on Friday, monitored by POLITICS NIGERIA.
“Anybody advising Atiku that is a wicked man, and I know those who are doing it. They don’t have electoral value in their own unit,” Wike said.
“Some of them are from Edo. Look at their calculation. President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t win in Rivers State, but Buhari won Lagos and Kano. Does Atiku have Lagos now, does he have Kano? The only one he has, always had is Rivers and you say you don’t want them.”
“The governor specifically accused Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, who hails from Yobe State and lacks political relevance, as being one of those misleading the PDP presidential candidate.
“Has PDP won Yobe State? now, what is his electoral value that he (Waziri) will bring to the table.
“Tell me, since 1999 we started this democracy, PDP has never won Yobe State and then you are going about, we will deal with him. We will sanction him.”
Wike fell out with Atiku after he lost the PDP primary to the latter. His group is demanding the resignation of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to achieve a “regional balance” considering Messrs Ayu and Atiku are both from the north, but Ayu has insisted he was elected for a four-year term.
