A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, political group known as The Renaissance Group has urged the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike to contest the 2023 presidential election.
The group, which was constituted by serving members of the Cross River House of Assembly, immediate past commissioners and other political appointees made the call in a communique after its meeting in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, south-south Nigeria.
Read by the Chairman of the group and former Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Gabe Odu Oji, the communique indicated that the south-south deserves to complete its tenure, which was truncated in 2015.
Proven track record
The group noted that at a period when crimes, banditry and agitation for secession was rampant, Governor Wike, with proven track record, would be the best candidate for the 2023 presidency race.
Oji stated, “he is a political phenomenon of grandiose proportion. He is the person we are looking for to salvage Nigeria from the doldrums we currently find ourselves in.
“The group notes the sterling leadership qualities of and development strides of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and after a careful prognosis of the political situation in the country, characterized by high level insecurity across board, the proliferation of secessionist groups currently threatening the very fabric of our national unity, hereby call on His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to declare for the 2023 Presidential elections in order to salvage Nigeria as clearly demonstrated as governor of Rivers State,” the communique noted.
He further stated, “the body notes that Governor Wike is a nationalist, who truly believes in the unity and indissolubility of Nigeria and has clearly demonstrated this by his uncompromising stance against separatist agitation.”
The Cross River Renaissance movement further noted “the ingenuity in social engineering exhibited by Governor Wike in handling the security situation in the Niger-Delta,” which they claim “has brought lasting peace in the region and considers this trait as a major panacea required in resolving the current security challenges plaguing the country.”
Leverage on the network
Also speaking, the former Commissioner for Information, Mr. Asu Okang said that the group was extending its tentacles to people of like minds in other regions to build bridges and leverage on the network of its members across Nigeria to achieve this agenda.
Okang said, “the south-south was entitled to complete its second tenure in office, which was truncated by the emergence of the Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari; and so the south-south still feels entitled to expect that we should also complete our tenure.”
Responding to the question on zoning, Okang said “an opposition party with 13 states to our credit cannot begin to talk about zoning; and that is why our National Working Committee including the BOT (Board of Trustees) sat in their wisdom and decided that the presidency of 2023 should be thrown open.
“Our support for Governor Nyesom Wike does not foreclose that anybody can also aspire from the south-east, south-west or any part of the country.
He adds that they will continue to negotiate with the people to expand the frontier to enable people see the need why governor Wike should be supported to be president in 2023.
Lateefah Ibrahim
