Key Highlights
- Wike denied working against Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election describing him as ungrateful
- Wike also said he was part of the team that chose Peter Obi as the vice presidential candidate for PDP in the 2019 presidential election
- He said he didn’t have any agreement with Obi and only told Rivers people to vote for unity of Nigeria
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has denied claims by the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, that he worked against him in the February 25 presidential election, describing him as being ungrateful.
Governor Wike said he never told Rivers state people to vote against him, noting that it is unfortunate that Peter Obi claimed that he (Wike) stood against him during the elections.
This was made known by Governor Wike during a media chat with select journalists from some broadcast stations on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, in Port Harcourt.
I chose Peter Obi as Atiku’s running mate in 2019
Wike also recalled how he picked him to be the running mate to Atiku in the 2019 general elections, even against the wish of some notable PDP chieftains.
He said;
- “I never told Rivers state people to vote for a candidate, I told them to vote for the unity of Nigeria. I take exception to Peter Obi’s comment that I came out against him. People are not being sincere, people are not being appreciative.
- “In 2019, ask Peter Obi, I was part of the team that chose Peter Obi to be the vice-presidential candidate of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. When we met at Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s house, he said these are the names and we chose Peter Obi.
- “Obi was invited while we were at (Bukola) Saraki’s house in the night, I was fought by people like Ike Ekweremadu and my own friend, people like the governor of Ebonyi state, people were like why must I be the one to choose Peter Obi, why must I choose for the candidates?
- “Did he come out to say Governor Wike was the one who supported me to be the vice-presidential candidate?
- “When he said I came out against him, it is unfortunate because nobody has ever heard me during my campaigns saying don’t vote for Peter Obi, I never said so. But even if that is the case, that I didn’t support you, you cannot say that I came out against you. I didn’t have any agreement with you in the first place.”
What you should know
- Peter Obi had in less than one year been able to galvanize a huge followership, especially among young Nigerians in such a manner that surprised quite many with an impressive performance in the just concluded 2023 presidential election.
- The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 elections, Peter Obi, has claimed that the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, came out against him during the elections.