Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, says God will not forgive the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if it fails to rescue Nigerians from the socio-economic hardship inflicted on them by the policies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government.
He stressed that for the PDP to actualise such an objective, all governors of the main opposition party must be united.
The governor stated this on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, at the Government House in Ibadan.
He explained that he was in the state to formally appreciate Governor Makinde, who was the secretary of the PDP Convention Planning Committee, for producing what has been acclaimed by Nigerians as the best convention in the history of the party.
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Governor Wike observed that having successfully produced a new national leadership of the party, the governors and other members of the party must remain united in order to form a formidable team to dislodge the APC from power in 2023.
“It is important for us as a party to unite because Nigerians are waiting for PDP,” he was quoted in a statement by his spokesman, Kelvin Ebiri. “We cannot afford to lose this opportunity, and the key for that is that the governors must be united and must support the party.
“It does not matter who will be the presidential candidate. If the party is united, the governors are united, I can tell you that victory will be ours.”
The governor said millions of Nigerians were languishing in abject poverty due to the harsh socio-economic policies and they were desperately looking up to the PDP to emancipate them.
“We must sit down as a party and take the best decision that will make Nigerians be happy, that will make us win the election. Anything we are doing that will not make us win the election, then there is no basis for it because we still want Nigerians to suffer.
“Nigerians cannot continue to suffer. They have suffered enough in the hands of APC and God will not forgive PDP if we don’t rescue Nigeria,” he stated.
Governor Wike urged those fanning the embers of discord over the issue of zoning to desist from distracting the party.
According to him, various stakeholders will meet and decide on a presidential candidate that can win the election for the PDP at the appropriate time.
The governor also asked party stakeholders to be prepared to support whoever the PDP would present as its presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.
He also used the occasion to commiserate with Governor Makinde and the people of Oyo State over the demise of the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji, praying God to grant the people the wisdom and courage to navigate through the succession process of getting a new Olubadan.
In his response, Governor Makinde said the nearly seven years reign of the APC-led Federal Government has been a disaster nationally.
He lamented that the Nigerian economy that was growing from five to six per cent suddenly became stalled due to clueless policies of the government.
“We went into recession, came out of it. We thought that was over; we went back into recession again, and the population is growing at an alarming rate,” the governor said.
On the PDP presidential candidate, he advised those aspiring for the office of the president not to contest for the sake of being in power, but for the sake of making the country prosperous.
Governor Makinde also applauded Governor Wike for identifying with the government and people of Oyo State over the death of the Olubadan.
