Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has counselled the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, to direct people following him in Abuja to return to their states to work for his victory in the 2023 general election.

Wike said he has been working in his state to ensure the victory of his party candidates at the polls.

The governor said this while speakinh at the inauguration of the Rivers State House of Assembly Quarters built by his administration and commissioned by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

“I am busy commissioning projects, tell those who are supporting you to also go and commission projects to win their states. This is my own campaign to make our candidates to win election.

“Leave me to do my work but you are worried, concocting things every day. Social media cannot make you to win election. Election is by the people. Tell those who are with you in Abuja to go home and campaign for you. Leave Wike alone,” Governor Wike said.

He continued: “I told Atiku the other day, all these governors you think are good with you what happened in 2019? Nobody wants to say the truth. Today instead of plotting how to win an election, they are talking about Wike. Wike is not important, why are you worried? Allow Wike to rest.

“Everybody go to your state and deliver. I don’t stay in Abuja. I don’t sleep there. I am here every day with my people. See our report card and see why you will vote our governorship candidate and all the other candidates. We have done well.”

Wike has been at loggerheads with the PDP and Atiku since the presidential primaries and subsequent selection of Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the party’s vice-presidential candidate.

He alleged that reports of removing PDP flags at Rivers State Government House and legal action instituted against PDP and its presidential candidate were works to paint him black by loyalists of Atiku.

READ ALSO: Wike: Count me out of suit challenging Atiku’s candidature 

Wike said: People have said I went to court against Atiku Abubakar. I want to say categorically that if I had a reason to go to court I will go to court. But I didn’t go to court. I just have to say it for Nigerians to know.

“I have kept quiet and busy delivering the dividends of democracy for my party to win election; people are busy plotting how they will win election, but others are busy trying to see how they will lose election.

“If they lose the election nobody should call my name. I have told the candidate, you will lose this election and you will win this election because of people around you. Anybody who knows me knows that if I was going to court , I would have gone to court within two weeks after the primaries because it is a pre-election matter and after two weeks you can’t go to the court.

“The legal adviser of the party called me and I told him you know there is mischief going on;  you know me very well if I am going to court it is not those kind of lawyers I would have used and I don’t even know the lawyers. I want to tell the candidate (Atiku) that it is his group that is doing all these things. Let the world hear.

“They are the ones plotting all these things thinking that they would spoil my name. You cannot. The other day they said I removed all PDP flags in Government House. We are supposed to be talking about how you will win election, not about these people. They are not doing him any favour, rather they are trying to make him not to win election.But if that is what they want, I wish them good luck.

“But after my commissioning of projects nobody should say Wike has started. When I start, I have been on my own, they are looking for my trouble. Allow peace to reign. If you say your mother will not sleep, you too you will not sleep at the appropriate time.”

While referencing Muslim-muslim ticket of the APC, Wike queried “Is that our problem now?” adding: “We need leadership to move this country forward.”

Speaking on the commissioning of project by Gbajabiamila, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Wike said: “Mr. Speaker, I didn’t invite you here because you are an APC member. I invited you because of the role you played for Rivers State to get their money and I said come and see what I have done with part of that money.

“I was one of those who plotted that you should not be Speaker. I have no regrets because my business is not to help their party that time, even now. My business is to make you people uncomfortable.

READ ALSO: Wike boasts: I’m fully in charge of Rivers politics

“It was in Government Lodge Rivers State in Abuja where we plotted he should not go. PDP governors sold me out. They supported you even when we had agreed as a party that Femi should not go, Lawan should not go.”

The governor added that it was a similar betrayal attitude that made Atiku lost the 2019 presidential election.

“In 2019 they all betrayed us. Buhari wouldn’t have won the 2019 election because you wouldn’t have had the spread. But all the states in the South-South made Buhari to have 25 per cent. Rivers didn’t give Buhari 25 per cent. I challenge anybody.

“I haven’t started politics. What I am doing now is to deliver dividends of democracy. That is my business. When I start politics, I will choke them. They think it was a mistake when I went to read Political Science, then I went again to read Law. I will choke them,” he said.

On his part, Gbajabiamila commended the the governor for providing dividends of democracy to his people.

The House of Reps Speaker said plotting in politics is not new but makes it more interesting.

“I thank the governor and my friend for a confession that had been known to all; that you plotted against me. It is an  irony of life and indeed very interesting, a  twist of fate that those you sat with to plot against me were  the same people that sat together at your primary to plot against you.

“So, plotting is not necessarily a new thing in politics. But what is constant is that in politics there are no permanent enemies and there are no permanent friends. What you have is permanent interest. Please, choke them,” Gbajabiamila said.

The Star