The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has questioned the integrity and character of a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, over his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a few days before the presidential primary of the main opposition party.
Wike, a frontline presidential aspirant under the platform of the PDP, slammed Peter Obi, who was also an aspirant under the same party, for his action saying that the latter had not won an election since he left the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the party under which he became governor.
This was disclosed by Wike while featuring on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, on Thursday night, where he expressed doubts about Obi getting the presidential ticket of another party.
Peter Obi’s exit not surprising to me, tells Anambra delegate, don’t waste your vote
Governor Wike in his reaction to Obi’s exit said, ‘’It is not surprising to me. That is what I have always said; when I go round to say ‘you (PDP) have to be very careful.’ Those of us who have joined the party since 1998, who have never left this party because this party is in our blood, it doesn’t matter what problems we may have in the party we have to be inside it to settle the problems.
“So, Peter Obi leaving the party is not surprising to me. I know and he knows that there was no way he would have won the presidential primary. Forget about what his (campaign) DG, Doyin Okupe, said. How would he have won? I went to Anambra and told them (delegates) that, ‘don’t waste your vote.’ Since Peter Obi left APGA then as a governor, he has never won election. That is not even the issue.
“The issue is that there must be integrity, there must be character. How can a man who had gone to all the states to tell them how he had been a trader, how his family has been trading, how everybody should support him, how he wore one (pair of) shoe(s), how he did not allow anybody to carry his bag, and all those things. Three days to the primary, he said he had left the party.”
Peter Obi might end up as vice presidential candidate
Wike noted that he read on social media that Obi planned to join a former Governor of Kano State, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, another presidential aspirant, in the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). He said the ex-Anambra governor might end up being a running mate to Kwankwaso.
He said, “Integrity; character is very important in whatever you are doing.’’
Wike also stated that he remained the presidential aspirant to beat in the PDP, adding that he was the only candidate that the party could field to defeat the All Progressives Congress.
In case you missed it
- Recall that on May 25, Nairametrics had reported that Peter Obi had announced his decision to dump the PDP and withdraw from the presidential race.
- Obi in a letter titled, ‘Resignation from PDP and withdrawal from Presidential contest’, and addressed to the National Chairman of the party attributed his reason for the decision to recent developments within the party which makes it practically impossible to continue participating and make constructive contributions.
