Stop intimidating me over alleged 2023 presidential ambition, Wike warns

‘Babangida Aliyu is a political liability, a mole in PDP’

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, yesterday, declared that nobody can stop or intimidate him over 2023 presidential ambition, insisting that he has not told anyone that he was aspiring to the country’s number one political office.

He, however, cautioned that people or those he described as detractors, could not scare him with insinuations and falsehoods, even if he wanted to run for the presidency.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, he also said former Niger State Governor, Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu was a political liability, describing him as ‘a mole’ in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“If I want to run for the presidency, nobody can stop me, they are so timid and intimidated by my credentials. Sometimes, they say I am interested in running for Vice President.

“Does anybody run for Vice President? These are just insinuations. I have never told anybody that I want to run for the presidency, but nobody should feel he can intimidate me,” Wike said.

He also pointed out that the country was facing serious insecurity challenges, stressing that governors were busy and committed to ensuring that the country moved forward.

Maintaining that it was not the time to pick holes, he clarified Aliyu’s allegation that there was a political dictator in Rivers State, adding that as far as PDP was concerned there was no dictator in his state.

He said: “Aliyu is a political liability to PDP. He is not an asset and he is a chronic liar and serial traitor, who lacked strategies.

“Aliyu cannot replicate what is happening in Rivers in Niger State. He cannot make PDP win any election in his state. No state congress has been held in Niger, due to his dictatorial tendencies and even if the congress holds, he can’t win.

“If Aliyu leaves PDP today, nobody will bother, but if I say I am leaving PDP any moment, the people will be worried.”

Wike recalled that in 2017, he (Aliyu) opposed Uche Secondus’ choice as chairman of the party, but only fell in line when he noticed that Secondus was poised for victory.

He said it was puzzling for Aliyu to allege that he (Wike) and Secondus were having disagreements, stressing that there was no rift between him and the PDP Chairman and that if there was anything that Secondus was doing right, he (Wike) would confront him.

On the challenges facing PDP National Working Committee (NWC), he noted that there was hardly any group or organisation without crisis, adding: “Sometimes, we agree and some other times, we disagree.”

He charged Aliyu to show capacity, saying that he had consistently failed to demonstrate that he was on the ground in Niger State, which was why PDP lost the state to the opposition party.