Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has stated that he never opposed Labour Party presidential candidates Peter Obi and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the presidential campaign.
Wike indicated that he supported power rotation from the north to the south of the country, which is why he never challenged Tinubu or Obi.
The Governor declared himself an “apostle” of Nigeria’s power transfer to the south.
He spoke at the inauguration of the Chokocho-Igbodo Road in Rivers State’s Etche Local Government Area.
The Governor made it clear that he owed no one an apology for his support for power rotation to the south.
“Whether you voted for Labour, I have no problem with you. Whether you voted for APC, I have no problem with you. That is what we have argued for: that the north has had it for eight years. Therefore, the south must be there for eight years.”
“As far as I am concerned, anybody from the south, that is my position. That is what we agreed in the Integrity Group that we must make sure that the south emerges as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
“Each time I went for a campaign, nobody has ever heard me criticize Obi. Nobody has ever heard me criticize Asiwaju. I owe nobody any apology that people voted for the southern presidency,” he said.
Wike had neglected the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential nominee, Atiku Abubakar, prior to the 2023 presidential election.
Wike and his Integrity group had called for the President to be rotated from the North to the South.
The Governor also demanded that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, resign and be replaced by a Southerner.
He stated that the North is incapable of producing the PDP’s presidential candidate and National Chairman.
