…Receives Nomination, Expression Of Interest Forms To Contest Presidential Election
Barely 48hours after Governor Nyesom Wike publicly declared his bid to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, a group, the Northern Progressive elements and friends of Governor Wike Tuesday, March 29, 2022 collectively bought and presented the PDP nomination and expression of interest forms to Gov Wike.
The forms were handed over to Gov Wike by Senator Suleiman Nazig on behalf of the groups.
Before now the public sphere was inundated with rumours and speculations of Gov Wike’s plan to run for the presidency with various groups pleading with the Ikwerre-born politician to accept the call by many Nigerians to join the presidential race.
But all that was mere wishful thinking until the confirmation came from the horse’s mouth (Gov Wike himself) in far away Makurdi, Benue State on Sunday, March 27.
Many believe that for power to change hands from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, the opposition needs a strong candidate that has the capacity in the mold of Governor Wike to fly the flag.
Gov Wike also confirmed this thinking when he said, “To remove APC from power, I’m the person who can tell them enough is enough. We must take this power and I’m ready to take it for PDP. God is with us that’s why APC keeps failing everyday.
“I’m declaring it (presidential ambition) for the first time in Benue. I’m going to run for election,” Wike said.
He warned stakeholders not to sell their votes, but give it to him, adding that some of the PDP presidential aspirants were only after the power in order for personal gains.
Wike also accused those who once left the party and came back to seek power of being the reason the party lost election in 2015, noting that those founding fathers who ran away from the party and still wanted to be recognised have lost their shares.
He said, “By the time you ran away, you sold your share as a founding father so you can no longer retain your position of founding fathers.
“I stood for this party. I work for this party since 1998. I have nowhere to run to and that’s why anything that happens to this party I take it personally. I have never relented.
“In 2015, those who ran away made us lose the election. Today, they are crying but some of us stood and said PDP will not die.
“Some people want to use Nigeria to buy back their personal business. They talk about private sector – let them mention the private business that had survived. Is it banks that your father had? Everybody is an employer of labour even in my house I have 50 people who feed from me. They should stop deceiving us.
“I have performed as a governor and can carry my shoulders high anywhere. I have the capacity to face this evil government, give me the mandate. I will speak the truth to power and nothing but the truth. I have the capacity to move this country forward.”
