I never asked people not to vote Obi
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said he never worked against the presidential ambitions of Labor Party (LP) candidate Peter Obi.
All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu defeated Obi and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the February 25 presidential election.
Speaking in a media chat on Wednesday, March 22, Governor de Rivers said there was no agreement in place for him to work for Obi as his main objective was to ensure that a southerner becomes president.
“I never told the people of Rivers State to vote for a candidate, I told them to vote for the unity of Nigeria. I take issue with Peter Obi’s comment that I spoke against him. People are not sincere, people are not grateful,” he said.
“In 2019, ask Peter Obi, I was part of the team that chose Peter Obi to be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s running mate. When we met at Alhaji Atiku Abubakar he said those are the names and we chose Peter Obi.
“While we were at (Bukola) Saraki’s house at night, I was fought by people like Ike Ekweremadu and my own friend, people like the Governor of Ebonyi State, people were thinking why should- I be the one who chooses Peter Obi, why do I choose for candidates?
“Did he come out to say Governor Wike was the one who backed me to be the running mate?
“When he said I spoke out against him, it’s unfortunate because no one ever heard me during my campaigns say don’t vote for Peter Obi, I never said it. But even if it’s is the case, that I didn’t support you, you can’t say that I spoke out against you, I had no agreement with you in the first place.
Wike said the PDP’s G5 governors had pledged to ensure that a southern candidate was elected president.
“I can tell you not only the G5 governors, the integrity group got together and said they’re all for a president from the south but not the president from the north again and the power has to change” , he added.
“There was never a time when we said it had to be who or it had to be that, but however, we formulated strategies that must bring out a president from the South and those strategies have been implemented. and results have been achieved.”
