Wike: APC Governors must hear these Bitter Truths from me in this Interview I granted INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

Wike: APC Governors must hear these Bitter Truths from me in this Interview I granted INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER

1) The Accusation by APC Govs against Wike is without merit because on April 19, 2003, then Gov. Bola Ahmed Tinubu now PBAT, and his Collleagues of Alliance for Democracy (AD), deliberately did not sponsor a Presidential Candidate instead they adopted, presented and vigorously campaigned for the re-election of PDP’s President OBJ. However, they presented and sponsored AD Candidates for Governorship, State and National Assembly Elections against PDP which they won in Lagos and some South-West States. That was how Gov. Tinubu got his second term. This is same thing Wike is trying to do with his Rainbow Coalition.

2) PBAT will never abandon Wike because PBAT is a man who never fails to appreciate, reward and support whoever helped him when he found himself in a very difficult situation. This is exactly what I kept telling Wike in 2023 to reassure him when I was convincing him to adopt Tinubu for the 2023 Election. I am happy that PBAT has proved me right today.

3) PBAT does not desperately need the support of APC Govs for his guaranteed re-election instead they desperately need his support for their political survival after the 2027 Presidential Election.

4) The APC Govs continued plot against Wike amounts to total disrespect and disregard for PBAT as their political leader. They have by their action, badly embarrassed Mr President before the entire world. Otherwise, how can any discerning person justify this situation where they and some Chieftains of APC continue to attack and seek to destroy a person so loved by their leader? Are they by their action not wrongly portraying to Nigerians and the entire world that PBAT has no right sense of Judgement hence he appointed Wike who is still the national Leader of PDP? Do they think that without the active support of PBAT Wike would have survived all the recent political wars waged against him in PDP and Rivers State?

5) With due respect to them, they are acting like children of a good father who declare as their enemy, a stranger so loved and appreciated by their own father for the help the stranger rendered their father in a very difficult time and by extension, the whole of their family.

6) Some of these APC Govs have never taken the risks and insults Wike takes to help bring about and stabilise the Presidency of PBAT till 2031.

7) PBAT has continued to publicly display his sincere appreciation of the efforts and sacrifices Wike made to support his bid to become President at a very difficult time in year 2023 when some of these APC Governors and some Chieftains of their Party were vehemently opposed to Tinubu as their Presidential Candidate. They were in support of other APC Presidential Aspirants during their Primary. Recall also that some former PDP Governors who recently defected to APC after the election of Tinubu as President, also fought fiercely against the President during the 2023 Presidential Election, supporting their Candidate.

8) I perfectly understand what Wike has been going through because I was in this same situation he finds himself today when in year 2011 I came under intensive and sustained attacks from some Chieftains of PDP in Delta State simply because the then PDP Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan appointed me into one of what they described as the juiciest or most lucrative political offices in the State reserved only for members of PDP despite my being the State leader of PRP which they regarded as a fierce Opposition Political Party. But because of my sincere commitment and achievement in helping Governor Uduaghan restore years of collapsed roads across major parts of the State, he refused to yield to their calls and pressure on him to terminate my appointment. Instead the Governor continued to renew his Trust and Confidence in me by massively funding the Agency under my leadership like never done before when PDP members were appointed to be in charge.

9) Every Nigerian President since 1999 has been entitled to two terms in Office; this has nothing to do with their first term performances in Office, poor or good. This is the bitter truth and the reality before us. So, if the other Presidents enjoyed the same two terms, why shouldn’t President Tinubu?

10) How many of these APC Govs can boast that they have performed so well in their States as Wike has done in FCT, to enjoy the massive appreciation and support of Nigerians to guarantee them a majority of lawful votes in the forthcoming elections?

11) How many of them are are capable of lawfully mobilizing voters in their States to secure majority Votes for PBAT if Presidential Election were conducted today?

12) How many of them can even secure lawful majority votes for all APC Candidates they sponsor and support in their individual States?

13) Would they have been in existence as members of a ruling political party today and enjoying all the benefits derived from it if Wike did not collapse his PDP’s chance? Is their action a clear case of display of ingratitude in the superlative sense of the word?

14) Wike’s Rainbow Coalition is normal in multi-party democracy across the globe. While I was the Governorship Candidate of my Party, Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, in Delta State, I did not oppose or work against the election of Dr Uduaghan Emmanuel of People’s Democratic Party, PDP because it was the turn of his South Senatorial District of our Delta State

15) Wike’s alleged sponsor of some aggrieved APC members in some State is in line with the speech made by PBAT at the joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives where he said without mincing words that he and his APC would wish that internal crises hit the other political parties to enable APC benefit from it. He went further to say that he will gladly welcome such aggrieved persons into APC. This is exactly what has been happening since crisis hit PDP, LP and other Political Parties.

16) Are these Governors accusing Wike of being the reason for their inability or refusal to reconcile APC members in their States? I know of some States in the South where the actual and formidable threat to President Tinubu and APC in 2027 are the aggrieved members of APC who defected to either Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) or African Democratic Congress (ADC). So, how is Wike a threat to them in such States? Did some of these Governors not align with Governor Fubara of Rivers State against Wike? They did but Wike survived them without complaining. They should also not complain but rather adopt strategies to survive too. All is fair in Politics, according to PBAT.

17) PBAT and Wike are inseparable for now!

na me talk am

Comrade (Engr) Igbini Odafe Emmanuel