The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has said he did not influence the decision of a Federal High Court in State that blocked Governor Godwin Obaseki from participating in the Peoples Democratic Party’s Edo State governorship primary.
Wike’s denial was made public by the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, who quoted the governor in a statement as also describing some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) as tax collectors.
Nsirim said Wike has decided to pull out of the ongoing moves to reconcile aspirants of the party in Edo State insisting that he’s been blackmailed with lies by “sycophants” in the NWC.
He said instead of the NWC to carry everybody along in Edo state, they resorted to using the media to blackmail him.
Classic reports that Wike’s keen interest in the battle for the party’s governorship ticket in Edo State has to do with his protracted political fight with archrival and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, who is believed to be backing Governor Godwin Obaseki’s re-election. Wike appears to have lost out in his bid to stop Obaseki after failing to secure a favourable commitment from the politician and helped arrange the court order to frustrate his re-election on the party’s platform.
Wike said: “I told them that in Edo State, we must handle the issue carefully and carry everybody along. They must respect human beings and not behave like tax collectors.
“They said because an order was obtained from a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, then I am responsible.
“I have had sleepless nights to resolve the issue in Edo state. The Governors of Edo, Adamawa, and Delta states, know what I have done to resolve the issues in Edo state.
“As a result of this senseless accusation, I have pulled out of Edo State settlement. My integrity matters. I have also directed my lawyer to write Thisday Newspaper on the publication they made against me in their Tuesday, 23rd June, 2020 edition.
“I know the members of the National Working Committee of PDP who connived with Thisday. They are tax collectors. Let them challenge me and I will come out with more facts. Nobody will rubbish me by raising false accusations against me. I will fight back,” the Governor said in the statement.
Wike said he would no longer participate in any reconciliation and wondered why the NWC wanted to consult governors of the party.
He questioned why the NWC did not consult with governors in the case of Bayelsa State.
The governor warned that if PDP was not careful, the crisis in the All Progressive Congress (APC) would be a child’s play.
“I am brought up not to accept injustice, and that is why I keep speaking out on national issues. Nobody in PDP can intimidate Rivers State.
“Nobody can threaten me because I said things must be done constitutionally. I will always continue to satisfy my conscience.
“From now on, I want to concentrate on the development of Rivers State.”