Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has accused some elders in the state of conspiring against him.
They claimed that the elders ganged up against him because he did not scale through the primary to become the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The governor explained that some of the elders failed in their bid to become the party’s governorship candidate. According to him, they mobilised to Abuja to prevent him from becoming the running mate of PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, as reported by The PUNCH.
The governor made this known during the 74th birthday reception organised to honour a former governor of the state, Dr Peter Odili, at his residence in Old Government Residential Area, Port Harcourt.
“On my last birthday, 12 midnight, one of our elders called me to say that they wanted to see me. They came to me and said they came to wish me a happy birthday.
“Then, they presented me a letter that I should run for president. All of them, including Dr Abiye (Sekibo) signed the document. “I said ‘okay, you people too should go and give me someone who will be governor after me.’ They all sat there, looking left and right.
“I asked them, ‘those of you who are interested in being governor should raise your hands.’ Everybody raised his hand. One person didn’t raise his hand, Senator Bari Mpigi.
“I asked why he was not interested, and he replied, ‘sir, let me hold what God has given me. I don’t want to lose the two.” Wike noted that the elders also signed a document that they would abide by the outcome of the governorship primary.
He added: “Some persons don’t know the history. They go and tell all kinds of stories. But the truth is this: all of them (elders) signed the document prepared by O.C.J. Okocha that whoever I will bring, they will abide by it.
“But now, they went to Abuja, that I must not be vice president. I also read yesterday when I was in Paris, one of them saying that I told him that if they do to me what they did to Dr Odili, I will collapse the system.
“I am not an ungrateful person, and I will never be ungrateful in my life. What is important is that I have done well as a governor. I am happy, and I am leaving the office a happy man.”
