Despite the ruckus threatening the unity of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Rivers State the governor, Nyesom Wike has boasted that more politicians in the state were renouncing membership of their political parties in droves and joining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the politicians were doing so because they were delighted at the ongoing infrastructural development by his administration and they believed the PDP is a better party to associate with.
Wike made the boast on Thursday at the flag-off of the 11th flyover project, which was performed by former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, at the Rumuola- Ikwerre Road-Rumuokwuta Roundabout in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
The governor explained that the ongoing collapse of the membership strength of other political parties in the State was definitely an electoral advantage for the PDP.
He said; “We have collapsed every other party. Every day people from the All Progressives Congress (APC) are joining our party. We are here doing that and some people are in Abuja; ask them how many people have they brought to the party.
“It’s not to say I’m supporting our candidate. How many people have you brought to help your candidate? We are here every day bringing people to join our party and you are there following your candidate from Abuja to Adamawa. Is it there you’ll win the votes? Come back home.”
He stressed that Rivers State is too strategic politically to be ignored by any serious-minded politician who wants to win an election pointing out the futility of the claims by those who professed that they know the PDP presidential candidate, yet they were not at home where votes could be mobilised to secure electoral victory.
“This Local Government alone, Obio Akpor, where I come from, registered not less than 600,000 voters. This local government beats two states in their electoral strength.
“So, we are not a state that you can take for granted, not to talk about the local government where I come from.
“I believe that they must know us here because we have what it takes to deliver. They must come and know us. I’m not going to find anybody. You must come here. You can’t take 600 and something thousand votes away from my local government. You can’t take 3.2million votes from my state just like that,” the governor declared.
Wike emphasised that the days were gone when supporters and the electorate offered their votes and did nothing in return.
“If we were father Christmas before, we won’t be father Christmas again? You must tell me what is there for me if I should vote. So, nobody should bother himself. At the appropriate time, we will talk to our people and our people will understand.
“If you say we don’t exist, we will tell you that you don’t exist. I am not a son to anybody. I am a son of Rivers State. I am working to attract what will benefit Rivers State.”
Governor Wike said the infrastructural projects are evidence of how Rivers’ money has been expended by his administration to solve critical socioeconomic problems.
He noted that the 12 flyovers, in the next three years, would be more appreciated because they will sufficiently address traffic-related problems stressing that everything has been done to ensure that funds were available so that every project started by his administration was not abandoned but completed.
Performing the flag-off, former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke said the leadership capacity demonstrated by governor Wike assures that there is hope for Nigeria.
Duke commended Governor Wike for executing projects, particularly the flyovers that have made Port Harcourt a livable city.
He also noted the medical succor the Dr Peter Odili Cancer and Cardiologist Disease Diagnostic Centre would offer cancer patients, because of the terminal nature of the disease.