Why We're Not Campaigning For Atiku In Rivers

The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says the ongoing campaign for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates in the state does not include the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubarkar.

Wike said the members of the PDP in Rivers state are not campaigning for Atiku Abubakar in their ongoing campaign for the 2023 election.

The governor said this on Tuesday in Bonny Town during the local government campaign flag-off rally that was organised by the Rivers state PDP campaign council.

He said the reason there’s no campaign for the party’s presidential candidate is that he was not asked to campaign.

“Go home and have it on your mind that the PDP in Rivers state, we have taken governorship, we have taken the senatorial, we have taken the house of representatives, and we have taken the house of assembly,” he said.

“That is the election we are doing here. These are the ones (candidates) who told me to come and campaign for them. No other person told me to campaign for him.

“I can’t force myself to campaign for you when you have not asked for it. These ones (candidates) have told me, so, I’ve come here to campaign.

“If somebody asks you to work for him, you’ll work for him. But if they don’t want you to work for them, will you force them?”

The governor said all residents in the state should be assured that no intimidation can cause the political path that has been so chosen to change.

“Any person who says Rivers state is not important, we will pepper him. Anybody who says he doesn’t regard Rivers state, we would not regard such person,” he said.

“There’s nothing like propaganda, nothing like intimidation because nobody can intimidate us. We are very, very solid. We are very strong.

“No state can point at us to determine what will happen here. Nobody can do such. So, be bold to say, I’m from Rivers state, I live in Rivers, and I am happy with Rivers. What is important is our state which we have collected.”

Wike’s comment comes amid the crisis in the PDP over calls by the Rivers governor and his allies for Iyorchia Ayu to step down as national chairperson of the party.

The Rivers governor and his allies, who have insisted that the party’s national chair and presidential candidate cannot be from the same region, have excluded themselves from the PDP presidential campaign.