PENTALK360 
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said that a bad product is always difficult to sell, otherwise, former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have recommended Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to Nigerians having worked together with him.
But, instead of doing so, Governor Wike noted, that the former President chose to endorse another presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
Governor Wike insisted that if Obasanjo had refused to recommend Atiku, then something must be fundamentally wrong.
He opined that Atiku should be more concerned about the loss of confidence from his former boss, and his coming election.
Wike took a swipe against those accusing him and Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State of frustrating the micro-zoning of the presidential ticket of the party to the South-East.
He said he had always believed in and supported concerted efforts towards ensuring that the presidency was zoned to the south.
The Governor spoke at Itu Bridge Head, the venue of the flag-off of the Akpabu- Odido Road in Emohua Local Government Area on Monday.
“I was one of those who led the campaign that the party’s chairmanship should go to the North because I believed the presidency should go to the South.
“I attended meetings of southern governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and other parties from Delta to Lagos to Enugu states, where we agreed that presidency should come to the south.”
Governor Wike insisted that while southern cross-party consultations were going on, there were people in the PDP who were bent on frustrating the eventual zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South.
Such people, he maintained, cannot now turn around to cast the blame on him and Governor Ortom to hide their scheme thinking they could deceive Nigerians.
“I woke up this morning and read where they said, how Wike and Ortom frustrated PDP’s micro-zoning of the presidential ticket to South East. That was what the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku said.
“I keep on saying, they’ll be contradicting themselves, telling lies up and down, thinking that Nigerians don’t know. How can they say that I influenced Ortom, told him to allow it, and throw the ticket open?
Governor Wike said further, “Nigerians know those who are opposed to the zoning of the party’s chairmanship first.
“And when the zoning committee was set up, this time, Atiku had gone to buy form to frustrate the recommendation of the zoning committee.
“So that when they have bought form, they could say, oh, there is no need of zoning, will you tell people to withdraw?”
Governor Wike said it is rather noteworthy that their gimmick is now hunting them because they were unfair to Nigerians.
“Yes, you don’t like Ortom, no problems. I know my own, you don’t like me, no problems. But I, my state gave you the highest support in 2019 both with logistics and by votes.
“You can’t deceive every Nigerian again. What I have stood for are equity, fairness, and justice.
“So, saying that I and Ortom frustrated PDP micro-zoning to South East is neither here nor there. They know that they don’t want the presidency to come to the South.”
The Rivers State governor urged the presidential candidate of the PDP to leave him out of the attendant challenges he is facing in the party.
Commenting on the road project, Governor Wike expressed gratitude to God that the Odido community will get a modern road for the first time in its history during his administration.
Governor Wike boasted that given the overwhelming joy expressed by the Odido people, it is difficult to believe that they will cast their votes for candidates of another party except for the PDP
Describing the project, Rivers State Commissioner for Works Dr George-Kelly Dakorinima Alabo said the Akpabu-Odido Road also has a 22meters long bridge.
