Two presidential aspirants, the governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and that of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwaal, have at different meetings, wooed the Oyo State delegates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in the pursuit of their aspiration for the party’s sole presidential ticket.
The two governors met the delegates at the Presidential Lodge of the Oyo State Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, the state capital.
The Rivers State governor, who met the delegates earlier, was received by Governor Seyi Makinde in a meeting that had in attendance the former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Wike, who prided himself as the best and only aspirant who can challenge and win the ruling APC in 2023, called all other aspirants for the ticket to a debate to tell the people what they have done for the party to deserve the ticket, noting that it is a shame that some people who collaborated to sell the PDP to APC are now coming back to ask for the presidential ticket.
He stated: “I have never, since 1998 left the PDP. I have stood for this party and I have worked for this party. When the party was abandoned, I stood firm for this party. Ask them where were they? They formed New-PDP, and left the party and went and brought the kind of bad luck that Nigeria had never had in her life. A labourer deserves his wages. I will not take my income from any other place other than in PDP. Even if you don’t support me, I will continue to work for PDP, I will never leave the PDP.”
Wike affirmed that none of the aspirants could challenge him in terms of who believes in and who is committed to the PDP because he had always supported the other aspirants to achieve their goals and they were all indebted to him, reiterating his firm belief in constitutional restructuring and state policing, among other things that would be effected, if given the chance to rule the country in 2023.
The Rivers State governor also faulted some aspirants who he said are selling more of their profile and background than what is required to lead the country and called on the delegates not to trust such people, their sense of judgement, their character and their kind of leadership, saying a leader must be firm, courageous, know when to acknowledge errors and apologise and not say something in a minute and change it the next.
“What is required to be the President of a country is having the ability, the leadership quality to put the best of heads together and you being able to supervise and coordinate and give out functions, make sure they are carried out and sanction them accordingly when they fail to discharge their duties. That is the work of a president. So, a president is not a person who will be his own economic adviser.”
Responding to Wike’s remarks, the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, who is also an aspirant, said the Southwest would speak with one voice during the PDP presidential primary.
Governor Makinde, in his remarks, disclosed that he had no apology for supporting the presidential ambition of the Rivers State governor, assuring Wike of the support of the state delegates, among others, to make his dream come true.
In his remarks to woo the PDP delegates, Governor Tambuwal of Sokoto State, who was received by the Oyo State PDP Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, in company of other party executive members, declared his support for state policing, promising to centralise his government around creative arts and technologically-driven innovative industry, which he believed is the panacea for a robust economy.
Tambuwaal noted: “By the grace of God, the chances of me getting the ticket of our parry is very bright and the chances are increasing bybthe day as we move on and I belive God Almighty will make it happen. We need to restructure for the progress and development of this country. We must engage ourselves and discuss our issues.”
He assured the delegates that he would be accountable, transparent and devolve power if given the ticket as the presidential flag bearer and promised to make policies that would engender progress and project the country positively in the comity of nations, saying he is not too old or too young to run for the presidency of the country.
Nnenna.O
