Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has berated the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, over Monday’s protest at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.
The supporters of the PDP protested on Monday at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
Atiku led the protest which was to express grievances over the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Abuja.
However, Wike, while speaking at the commissioning of Chokocho-Igbodo Road in the Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, said while other people were demonstrating, he was commissioning projects.
He said he warned the leadership of the party over its insistence that northerners held on to the presidential ticket and national chairmanship seat of the party.
Wike who commended the people for voting a southern President in the just-concluded elections, pointed out that Section 7(3)(c) of the PDP constitution recognised zoning and rotational presidency but the leadership of the party contravened the provisions of the party’s regulations.
“While other people are demonstrating, I am commissioning projects. I have not gone to do demonstration; my own is to commission projects and make my people happy.
“I owe nobody any apology at all. I am one of the apostles, one of those who stood firm that power must rotate to the South. This is for equity, this is for fairness and this is for justice.
“Whether you voted for Labour, I have no problem with you. Whether you voted for APC, I have no problem with you. That is what we have argued for: that the north has had it for eight years. Therefore the south must be there for eight years,” he added.
Five governors of the PDP and some aggrieved party leaders have repeatedly called for the resignation of the party’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, before peace could return to the main opposition party.
The governors led by Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, declared that their “Integrity Group” still stand on the position earlier taken in Port Harcourt, Rivers, on the removal of Mr Ayu.
The group, which had been at loggerheads with the leadership of the party and its presidential candidate, however, reiterated that the window for reconciliation in the party remained open.
The governors including Samuel Ortom of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Mr Wike began the call for the sack of Mr Ayu, shortly after the party’s presidential ticket was won by Mr Abubakar.
