Why I’m ‘fighting’ Atiku, Tambuwal, Saraki, other northerners over PDP presidential ticket – Wike
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike says he is at loggerheads with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirants from the North over their non-agreement to zone the ticket to the South.
According to Wike, many of the aspirants who he is now at loggerheads with were people he had supported in their aspirations in times past.
He said even with massive opposition from the South in 2019, he fought for Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal in the PDP presidential primaries. He said he had also earlier backed Tambuwal to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011 when the party favoured Patricia Etteh.
The Rivers governor also said he was instrumental to Bukola Saraki’s emergence as senate president despite being in the All Progressives Congress.
“There is nobody today contesting for president of this country from the North that I did not have a relationship with or that I did not support. There are nine of them who have not come to me to say, ‘Wike, with you, I think I will have my way.’ And I always told them, ‘I agree, but what is on the ground; what is on the table?’
“If you ask most of my friends, the problem I have with friendship is that if we agree on something, let’s keep to it. If there is any reason why that shouldn’t be done, I should be notified,” Wike said.
“I will tell you one. Sadly, it is with one very intelligent young man Nigerians listen to – Bukola Saraki with all due respect. I was one of those who made sure he became a Senate President. He was in APC. I tweeted and spoke about his intelligence. Whether you hate him or you don’t like him, this young man is intelligent. Why would you not allow such a person to be at the helms of affairs? I never hid my feelings.
“My brother and friend, Tambuwal, when he wanted to be Speaker, the government and the PDP didn’t want him to be the Speaker. I was one of those who said no, we shouldn’t do that. I came out and said he should be Speaker. Even when he wanted to be president, I was one of those who said he was a vibrant young man and it didn’t matter; that we should not do it by age. People were fighting me all over…in the South, in the West, in the North, in the East. They all fought me. ‘Why are you bringing Tambuwal?” I said it was not about me bringing Tambuwal. I said I had found somebody that I thought had all it takes to lead.”
Wike also added that he was the number one supporter of Atiku Abubakar at the 2019 presidential election after winning the party’s ticket.
“I want to challenge anybody, any governor, any person in this party who would say they gave Atiku the support I gave. In fact, I can tell you that in the South-South, it was only in my state that APC never got 25 per cent (votes). Atiku knows that I came all out and supported him.
“If there are factors that have come up, you can say, ‘look, gentleman, my brother, I think what is now is not what was available then.’ And then, we can sit down and talk about it. So, what I do not like…I feel bad when people say, ‘oh, it is not right for a Wike.’ No group can win an election without the other group. No northerner can win without the southerners,” he added.
