Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has asserted that mass defection will rattle both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) between now and December, as politicians are set to realign ahead of the 2023 general elections.
The governor lambasted those defecting away from the PDP pointing out that although defection is an inherent part of the democratic process, those who defected from the PDP lacked integrity and character.
Wike made these claims at the inauguration of reconstructed William Jumbo, Ernest Ikoli, Eleme, Akassa, Abana, and Mbiama streets in Old Government Residential Area of Port Harcourt on Wednesday night.
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He continued; ‘People are defecting; More will defect. Defection is part of our electoral process. As you are defecting, people are coming in. There are those who are angry there (in APC), they’ll come (to PDP). You that is angry here (in PDP), you will go. That is the game.’
The governor also submitted that insinuation that some governors and others who have defected from PDP to APC were being intimidated, is not tenable. He maintained that those who have decided to jump ship lack conscience, character, and integrity.
‘If it is by provocation, if it is by intimidation, if it is by coercion, then Rivers state won’t have been in PDP. Because, if there is one State that has been intimidated, if there is one State that has been punished by the ruling party, it is Rivers State. Yet nobody can push us, nobody can intimidate us to leave the hope and the future of this country, and that is the PDP.’
He remarked that those who claim PDP has been unfair to them should also realise that the party had at different times wronged Rivers State, which accounts for its highest votes since 1999. But despite this, the State has remained steadfast and committed to the ideals of the PDP.
‘PDP has done a lot of wrong things to the Rivers state, but I cannot say we will leave PDP. We will be there and fight the war. The interest of Rivers state will be fought inside PDP, we will not leave anywhere.”
‘Even if the whole States abandon PDP, Rivers State will not abandon PDP because we are people of integrity, we are people of character. Anybody who does not have integrity, who does not have character cannot say he is from Rivers State,’ he concluded.
The governor observed that it is worrisome that some prominent members of the PDP who are aspiring to be presidential and vice presidential candidates, have remained mute instead of speaking out against the maladministration that has characterised the APC led Federal government.
Wike dismissed President Muhammadu Buhari’s assertion that the reason why Zamfara State governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle defected to the APC was because of the good things happening in the party.
According to him, APC has wrecked Nigeria and those defect from PDP are leaving a party that offers hope to one that offers Nigerians none.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
