Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has identified how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary that produced Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the party’s presidential flag-bearer for the 2023 election, was “fraudulently organized”.

POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Governor Wike made the remarks when the Senior Vice Chairman/Editor-in-Chief, Azu Ishiekwene led a delegation of the management of Leadership Newspaper Group Limited to the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday to present a nomination letter of award to him as the “Politician of the Year 2022.” Also, the delegation of Sun Newspaper Publishing Limited was led by the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Onuohia Ukah, who presented a letter of nomination for the award of “Courage in Leadership 2022”

Governor Wike said the organizers of the PDP primary election last May permitted an aspirant to return to the podium to do a campaign when the voting process had started. According to him, if the aspirant was allowed to announce that he was stepping down, there won’t have been a problem, but rather instructed delegates on who to vote for. These were the same people, he stressed, frustrated by the recommendation for zoning of the PDP presidential ticket. He stated no amount of blackmail can deter him from standing for the truth, based on equity, fairness, and justice, that the national chairmanship of the PDP should be filled by a southerner.

Governor Wike challenged anybody to point to any benefit, in terms of projects, that Rivers State has got for its support to the PDP since 1999. According to Governor Wike, let those who say they can effect a national change when elected, first demonstrate such ability within the party. The governor explained how he is not those politicians who run around party candidates to get relevance, because it is one’s contribution in the state and not Abuja that gives such relevance.