Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike, has escalated his feud with the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate Ababukar Atiku.
Wike who was addressing news reports on Friday insisted that Party Chairman Iyorchia Ayu had to give way for the crisis in the PDP to blow away, a position Atiku is not ready to take. Wike accused Ayu of manipulating the PDP primary in favour of Atiku and that has been the root cause of the problem facing the party. “I dare them to suspend me today. They cannot try it because they know what I can do. If a child says his mother will not sleep, he too will not sleep,” Wike said.” I won’t conclude that Atiku and Ayu are not trustworthy now. But Nigerians are watching if they show integrity. You don’t say because Nigerians are not happy with the APC government, so we do and behave anyhow.
Wike insisted that there must be equity in the party, saying it was not palatable for the national chairman, presidential candidate and the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign to all come from the North.
“They slant stories in such a way as to deceive the public. The founding fathers know the complexity of this country. They did it in such a way as not to have problems.
“People should not forget history. In 2013 and 2014, there was an issue of the presidential candidate Jonathan emerging. Atiku and others walked out of the convention. Tambuwal and the former Senate President all walked out.
“Jonathan did everything to talk to them. But they rebuffed him as a sitting President. President travelled to London to see Atiku, but he rebuffed him. Former Governor Babangida Aliyu admitted that they all agreed to work against Jonathan”.