2023: Governor Wike backs Sanwo-Olu’s 2nd term bid
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State on Tuesday expressed support for the second term bid of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State.
It would be recalled that Sanwo-Olu is seeking a second tenure on the platform of the All Progressives Congress.
Wike made the announcement at the 22nd National Women’s Conference, with the theme: ”Spring Forth, Stand Out”, organised by the Committee Of Wives Of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO) in Lagos.
He said that Sanwo-Olu’s performance had earned him a second term, commending the governor for giving women the opportunity to serve in various capacities in the state.
”If you are not in my party and you are doing well, I will support you. If you are in my party and you are not doing well, I will not support you. That is what I stand for,” the Rivers governor said.
According to him, by the grace of God, Sanwo-Olu will be a second term governor, as Lagos state has continued to make progress in his administration.
”Talking about raising the capacity of women, no nation can develop without women. So assuming that alone, you should see it as a major project, and if a man does that, of course, you need to encourage such a person.
”I just told you that it is a lesson for me. I am leaving office, if I had known about this, probably, I would have started it. But it is not too late for me. I am going back home to tell my wife, let it be that we have established this, not for us, for future government that are coming.
”Look at the kind of projects they are carrying out. So why would you not support such government that is encouraging this? So I’m not even talking about that, look at the physical infrastructure in Lagos state, what do you say what do you not say.
”Lagos is the Centre of Excellence. There are some people who will be here, instead of them to make Lagos state to continue to improve, they will bring Lagos down and that is not the case here.
”So for me, I am satisfied, it doesn’t matter the party difference,” he said.
Speaking on the forthcoming general election, Wike said that what Nigerians were looking for is a president that had the interest of the citizens, a president with experience in governance.
”We are looking for a president that Nigerians can say yes, can put food on the table, will fight insecurity, that is what we are looking for, not some people who are talking about ethnicity,” he said.
PDP Reaction
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the endorsement of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu by his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Hakeem Amode, the PDP has expressed confidence that its governorship candidate would defeat Sanwo-Olu in the forthcoming election.
The party vowed to render Sanwo-Olu useless and send him to the former governors’ club in 2023.
“I only wonder how Governor Wike, who didn’t support Jandor and at the same time, couldn’t stop him from picking the party ticket in Lagos despite his supposed might within the PDP, would apportion to himself the decision of generality of Lagosians in the forthcoming election.
“While we won’t but acknowledge Governor Wike’s developmental strides in Rivers State which has within used influx of other state chief executives including Sanwo-Olu for commissioning, it is worrisome that Governor Wike will call Sanwo-Olu a performer without asking how many times he has invited anyone to Lagos for the commission of even ordinary borehole in his almost four years in office as Governor”, the statement reads in part.
The opposition party added that Wike’s endorsement of Sanwo-Olu cannot stop its candidate from winning the next election.
According to Amode, only God and the generality of Lagosians can determine Jandor’s fate at the polls in 2023.
NAN/N.O
