Rivers State governor and presidential aspirant under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Wike, has promised to crush insecurity which is ravaging virtually everywhere in the country.
Specifically he vowed that the spate of killing in the country almost daily would be a thing of the past if he is elected to succeed the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari as the country’s leader in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
Wike who noted that the security challenges facing the country requires a courageous and fearless leader to overcome, spoke during his visit to the PDP State Secretariat in Akure, the Ondo State capital to solicit the delegates votes ahead of the party’s presidential primary slated for May 29.
To him, Nigeria as a country needs a leader who can fight insecurity and the unacceptable killing of Nigerians which has been order of the day.
He said the country needs “a leader that will say white is white, black is black; a leader who can fight insecurity in this country as well say no way to insecurity.”
According to him: “Insecurity has been regarded as a project under the present Buhari APC-led Federal Government. Under this present government that we hear news that 50 people, 20 people have died today at separate attacks.
“We need one that will say no way to insecurity.”
Wike ,who recalled all his political positions held as ex-local government chairman and former Minister in the country and as a sitting governor of Rivers State said the execution of projects under his watch are numerous.
“I have been tested; l have been challenging the APC government everyday. Therefore, all Ondo State delegates votes should be given to me on May 29 if you want Nigeria to be transformed by Wike” he added
He said he would not be happy with the party leaders if he got only got 80 per cent of the delegate’s votes and not all the votes from the state, as he described himself the most courageous and selfless leader to tackle Nigeria’s problems.
He said: “I am here to make myself available to you. I want to run for the office of the president. Not that I only want to run, I want to win this election for the PDP.
“Many of us know what it takes to win election. If you look at all the aspirants, you will see that I have the chance of winning the election for the PDP.
“You need a courageous leader; you need a fearless leader; you need a leader who can stand and say white is white and black is black; a leader who can say insecurity is enough in this country.
“Nigeria has never been divided like this since this country was created. You require somebody that will say no more to this insecurity and I am the one that has the capacity to stop it.
“Let nobody come here to deceive you. They’d say they have been running businesses; they’d say they worked in an oil company; all those things don’t work in governance. Personal business is different from running government.’’
Responding, the state party chairman, Hon Fatai Adams, noted that in the 2020 election, Mr Wike stood by the state effectively and was sure of his abilities as he had inaugurated many projects in Rivers.
Speaking, the immediate former Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, noted lack of political will as a major factor making the country to be where it is today.
He maintained that there were contending forces, selfish interest among Nigerians and therefore suggested that the country needs courageous and doggedness leader that will challenge all the contending forces holding the country back.
“We need competence and the way to judge competence is by what you have done before especially in governance.
“Leader that will say l want my people to live like normal human beings in Nigeria; person that wants to develop the nation. That is personal quality that Wike has in abundance.
“This is a country where train was burnt during the daylight in which hundreds passengers were adopted for 42 days now and we don’t know where they are today. Set of criminals have taken over this country.
“Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capital in Nigeria today is 2000 dollar. We are in a country where presidential form is sold for over 200,000 dollars. It shows that the problem in this country is very serious.
“When the repercussion comes it will affect all of us. It is important for all of us to take right decision.”
He said many aspirants had been to Ondo State to talk to the delegates, but Wike stood out.
He noted that 2023 is all about the collective destiny of Nigerians and urged Nigerians not to joke about it.
Also present at the event was the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde.
