Wike frustrated, lacks integrity, says PCC

The People’s Democratic Party campaign council in Rivers state has berated state governor Nyesom Wike for withdrawing approval for the party’s presidential campaign in the state capital Port Harcourt.

State PDP PCC spokesman Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, who stated this in an interview with The PUNCH, also said the governor lacked integrity for failing to name his preferred presidential candidate in January, as he had promised.

According to Nwibubasa, the governor grew increasingly frustrated.

On Wednesday, the state government canceled the approval given to the PDP for its flag bearer’s meeting to be held in the state on February 11, 2023.

The cancellation was contained in a letter signed by the State Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, and addressed to the Director General, PDP PCC, Aminu Tambuwal.

The letter said credible information available to the state government showed that the PDP PCC was working with a faction of the state’s All Progressives Congress led by Tonye Cole.

It added that information available to the government shows that the APC’s activities in the state have always been marred by violence, largely due to irreconcilable internal conflicts within the party.

It added: “The Rivers State Government cannot risk damage to or destruction of the highly valuable and prized asset, the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, to which your use of it in conjunction with your Tonye Patrick Cole APC faction will expose.

“Under these circumstances, the Rivers State Government has made the painful but inevitable decision to withdraw the approval previously given to you for the use of the stadium and said approval is hereby withdrawn.”

Nwibubasa, who confirmed the development, described the earlier approval from the state government as a Greek gift.

Nwibubasa berated Wike and went on to say that the governor was not a good fighter because a good fighter knows when to stop.

Nwibubasa stated: “We are not surprised when certain decisions are made because it all boils down to increasing the level of frustration.

“We will only appeal to him to return to his party and return to the part of peace. And that’s part of the honor. No one fights a war and refuses to evaluate the same war, and knows when to stop. He’s not a good fighter.

“For the PDP presidential candidate, we are very sure that the people of Rivers are happy with him. They are in love with him and will vote for him en masse on February 25, 2023.”

When asked what he thinks of Wike’s inability to name his favorite presidential candidate, as he had promised, he said it shows the governor has no integrity.

“His inability to name his preferred candidate, as publicly announced in January, again highlights his level of instability and incoherence.”

“It shows his integrity that he cannot match his words with actions. So it hurts us that we have a governor who says one thing and does another.