Wike Blames PDP For Atiku’s Defeat, Calls APC Governors His Heroes

The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has said the Peoples Democratic Party caused Atiku Abubakar’s defeat at the February 25 presidential election by abandoning the party’s zoning system enshrined in the party’s constitution.

Governor Wike, who reportedly committed anti-party activities by allegedly working against the presidential candidate of the PDP, said the party’s leadership committed a big anti-party activity for breaching the party’s constitution.

Wike stressed that the rejection of the zoning system by the party leaders was the biggest anti-party activity ever which wouldn’t promote national unity.

The Rivers state governor stated this when he hosted the three senators-elect from the state – Senator Barry Mpigi, Deputy Governor Ipalibo Harry Banigo, and Allwell Onyesoh, at his private residence in Rumueprikom on Wednesday. The Senator-elects visited the outgoing governor to present their Certificates of Return to him.

While addressing his guests, Governor Wike highlighted that the party “must adhere to the policy of rotation of elected and appointive offices” by the objectives of equity, justice, and fairness, as clearly stated in Section 7(3)(c) of the PDP’s constitution.

The governor added: “We are proud to have produced the three senators. Out of 13 House of Representatives, they have announced 10, and we have taken nine. We believe that when the election is done in the other ones, we will also emerge victorious because Rivers State has always been with PDP as regards the issues of our local elections.

“When our party abandoned the principle of equity, fairness, and justice; when our party abandoned the provisions of our constitution, which is the highest anti-party anybody can do, they also have to pay for it.

“If you see that your constitution says this is what you should do, and you abandoned it, you have committed anti-party more than any other thing. Our own is the unity of Nigeria, and that is what we stand for. Unity of Nigeria is far above party interest.”

APC Governors are Wike’s heroes

While comparing how the PDP and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) handled the zoning system, Governor Wike described the APC Governors as his heroes for insisting that the presidency must be zoned to the Southern part of Nigeria.

According to Wike, APC’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was able to win the February 25 presidential election because the APC governors valued maintaining national cohesion.

He added: “That is why I said that the APC governors are my heroes. They came out openly to tell the world, to tell Nigerians that ‘the unity of this country is paramount; we don’t want Nigeria to be divided’.

“I was shocked when all of them came out and said we have had it for eight years in the North, let it go this way (South) for eight years so that we can have harmony, peace, and unity.”