Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has made clarification over his comments on the endorsement of Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, for the 2023 presidential election by former President, Olusegun Obasanjo.
Wike said the endorsement will not argur well for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that he’s deeply worried about the situation of things in the party.
Speaking at the flag-off of construction of Mgbuodohia Road in Rumuolumene, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area on Tuesday, Wike said he was not mocking anybody with his reaction to the endorsement.
He noted that for Obasanjo to pick Obi above the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, who served him for eight years as Vice President, every lover of PDP should be concerned.
Wike said: “I meant no bad. I’m only worried as a prominent PDP member. A man who loves PDP should be worried.
“I was not mocking anybody. I was merely worried. My prayer was, look, let Obasanjo remain quiet and not say anything. That was all my prayer, but my prayer didn’t work.
“My prayer was that if this man makes any statement, it will indict us because he was President under the Peoples Democratic Party for eight years, and he worked with our presidential candidate.
“And the campaign of our presidential council is that our presidential candidate during the eight years did very well, with experience.”
On being castigated on his position over the development, the governor wondered “What did I do? I didn’t do anything.
“All I did was to express concern. If you care for this party, it is for you to go back and ask what is fundamentally wrong.
“Me that is worried that we should do something and have expressed it, you’re abusing me for telling the party that we should do something.
“They are not bothered, but those of us who since 1998 joined this party, contributed for the survival of this party until now, we keep shouting always when we see danger coming.
“Abuses upon abuses, it will not change anything, rather it will spoil more things. What you don’t know, ask people, seek for advise, people will help you to solve the problem.
“Nobody can drive us (Integrity Group) from this house (PDP) we have built. All of us will fight here.
“So, if anybody thinks that you can just sit in your house and dish out orders, it will not work. The house will collapse on you. So, you better think twice.”