Why Rivers' voters will punish PDP national leadership, by Wike

• Published date: 01 February 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who abandoned Rivers State during last year's floods should not expect votes from the people in the on February 25 presidential poll, Governor Nyesom Wike said yesterday.

He said the leaders of the party will be punished for not identifying with the state when it mattered.

Wike spoke yesterday at the Community Secondary School in Akinima Town during the Rivers State PDP Campaign inauguration at Ahoada West Local Government Area.

The governor explained that the flood which ravaged some communities of Abua/Odual, Ahoada West and Ahoada East local government areas, submerged houses, displaced people and disrupted their socio-economic lives.

Wike noted that during the period, the national leadership of PDP refused to visit the affected to identify with them in their time of crisis.

The governor observed that the national leadership visited flood impacted communities in other states, which could be interpreted to mean hatred for Rivers.

He said: 'With such mindset, Rivers State does not matter', adding that the voters would 'pepper' the PDP national leadership in the forthcoming presidential poll.

The governor said: 'You had a problem, a major problem. Ahoada West, Ahoada East, Abua-Odual, had a major flooding problem. After they'll say we are in the same party. Is there anybody from the national of our party that came to visit Ahoada West, Ahoada East, and Abua?

'But they went to other states, which means, they don't like us. If somebody says he doesn't like you, will you force yourself on them?'

Wike reassured the people of Ahoada West Local Government Area that his administration would deliver a reconstructed Government Secondary School, Okarki.

He told them that the contract for the project was awarded long ago and fully paid for, 'but that their sons, who got the job, failed to deliver on schedule'.

The governor assured that it would be re-awarded and completed before the end of his tenure on 29th May, 2023.

Wike...