Barely one week after promising to give support to the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Monday pledged to provide logistical support to the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso whenever he wants to do his campaign in the State.
Governor Wike made the commitment at the inauguration of the Mgbuitanwo internal road in Emohua Local Government Area of the State.
He expressed grave concern about how the diversity of the country has been grossly threatened by those who have resorted to campaign on the basis of ethnic and regional sentiment. According to him, such parochial tendency will make Nigerians more divided along religious and ethnic lines than ever before.
The Rivers State Governor stated further that members of his integrity group are resolved to do what is right always as long as it will help to advance the county.
“It is not to say don’t vote for a Yoruba man, don’t vote for an Igbo man. That is not what we require in this country now. What we require is a man who will put Nigeria together. We of integrity group will continue to support whatever that is right, whatever will help this country.”
The governor explained that he had tried in vain to persuade leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, not to allow Kwankwaso not to leave the party because of the strategic importance of Kano State.
“When you wanted to leave PDP, I came to your house in Abuja. I said sir, don’t leave the party. I pleaded with you. I came two times. Those who never meant well for this party, who will want to take control where they never sowed. They said no, leave Kwankwaso to go. Who is he? Let him go, after all, I was a Senate President when he was Deputy Speaker House of Representatives. I said no, he is an asset to the party in Kano State. Kano is very important for our party, therefore, whatever it takes let’s keep him, let’s manage him. They said let him go.
“I said the more the merrier. We are opposition party, we cannot continue to drive our people away. Whoever is angry, let’s keep him, they said no. They said I went to see Kwankwaso, I said yes, because I know with him in Kano, there is likelihood that it will be better for us. But if we allow him to go, the repercussion will be too heavy. They said no. Kwankwaso left us.”
The Rivers State governor described the NNPP presidential candidate and former governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso as a man of integrity and number among leaders that Nigeria needs. According to him, the NNPP presidential candidate had assured him that his supporters who are still in PDP will vote for him during the PDP presidential primary and they did.
