Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has again talked tough on the lingering crisis between him and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, saying those interested in votes from Rivers residents must come to the state. He said the state would no longer be Father Christmas, doling out votes without negotiating Rivers’ interest.
Apparently referring to the unsuccessful moves for reconciliation, Wike said Rivers remained strategic in any election and that he would not go and look for anybody.
Wike’s reconciliation team was in Port Harcourt, Rivers capital, on Monday but waited in vain for members of Atiku’s committee, who failed to turn up for the crucial talk.
Wike said: “I believe that they must know us because we have what it takes to deliver. They must come. I’m not going to find anybody. You must come here. You can’t take 600,000 votes away from my local government or 3.2 million votes from my state just like that.”
He insisted that the days were gone when supporters offered their votes and did not get anything in return.
“If we were Father Christmas before, we won’t be Father Christmas again. You must tell me what is there for me if I should vote. So, nobody should bother himself. At the appropriate time, we will talk to our people and our people will understand. If you say we don’t exist, we will tell you that you don’t exist.”
Wike stressed that Rivers is too strategic politically to be ignored by any serious-minded politician, who desires to win an election.
He harped on the futility of the claims by those who professed to know the PDP presidential candidate, yet were not at home where votes could be mobilised to secure electoral victory.
He said: “This local government alone, Obio Akpor, where I come from, we registered not less than 600,000 voters. This local government beats two states in their electoral strength. So, we are not a state that you can take for granted.”
