The choice of who becomes the Presidential candidate of the people’s Democratic Party (PDP), for the 2023 presidential elections would far from a mere walk in the park, as it may be characterised by some degree of “normal” turbulence, the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike has said.
Giving a hint of what Nigerians should expect in the choice of the party’s candidate, Nyesom Wike insisted that such qualities like courage, capacity and vision would be of high consideration.
Wike maintained that only a courageous person with the capacity and vision to salvage the country will be supported to fly the presidential ticket of the PDP in the 2023 general election, clarifying that although the party is yet to decide whether such candidate will be from the southern or northern part of Nigeria, one thing is certain, the candidate will be one who can confront the evil tactics of All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking On African Independent Television, (AIT) programme on Thursday, Governor Wike said the process to determine who PDP will field as its presidential candidate will be a turbulent one.
“Let nobody come and tell you that in arriving at a presidential candidate that it will be easy. No way, it can never be. You know, there are two types of turbulences. There is turbulence that will not have a crash, which is a normal turbulence. There are turbulences that there is likely to be a crash.
“Our own turbulence in PDP is the normal turbulence, which I believe we will get through it, but APC turbulence is a turbulence that is likely to lead to a crash.
“PDP has redeemed its position towards what Nigerians are expecting, because Nigerians are tired of what is going on in the country. So, they need an alternative, and the only alternative as it is today is the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP)”, he added.
He stated as a firm and courageous person, who having demonstrated such selfless leadership in Rivers State, he will only support a presidential candidate who will not mortgage the party for other selfish interest.
“And so, if you want to run for presidency under PDP, I will not support somebody who’ll just want to bear the name of former presidential candidate, I will not agree to that. I must see that you are prepared for it, and to confront this evil called APC.”
The Rivers State chief executive boasted that he feels fulfilled that PDP got it right with a peaceful conduct of its national convention that saw the emergence of a new competent national working committee, (NWC).
He dismissed insinuations in some quarters that PDP governors had forced on an early convention because they wanted sole control of the party. According to him, any true party man will love a PDP that is stable, focus and forward looking.
The governor maintained that already the new leadership of the PDP, waiting to be sworn-in on the 9th December 2021, have started engaging Nigerians and other party members on identifying what the problems are and how to address them properly.
Wike said Nigerians are tired of the misrule of APC and will not allow their evil to continue beyond 2023.
His word, “Nigerians are waiting. Nigerians cannot have this type of evil come up again in 2023. We will be doing a disservice to Nigerians to allow this to continue.”
He said PDP is already aware of the antics of the APC controlled Federal Government to ensure it holds on to power at all cost. According to him, APC is already gearing up to deplore unconstitutional means to frustrate the conduct of a free and fair 2023 general election.
The governor expressed strong reservation on the likelihood of President Muhammadu Buhari ever assenting to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill and declared, “the president will not sign the Electoral Act Amendment Bill. The signs are already there. It is dead on arrival. The president does not disappoint people”.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
