Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that some ex-military generals and other Peoples Democratic Party members met on the night of the party’s presidential primary and special convention to prevent his emergence as the party’s presidential candidate.
He added that part of the meetings was held in homes of ex-generals on the night of the convention in a bid to prevent his emergency.
Wike Speaking live now in a media chat in Port Harcourt on Friday alleged that the meetings were part of what led to the delay in the commencement of the convention on the day of PDP primary.
Wike lambasted the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, for his role in the last convention of the party, saying he aided the emergence of the former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, as the party’s flagbearer.
He added, “A whole national chairman told some aspirants that if Wike wins that he was going to resign. As chairman of the convention, he allowed Aminu Tambuwal to speak a second time. Look, integrity matters.
“And after everything, he (Ayu) went and hugged Tambuwal that he was the hero of the convention.
“Meetings upon meetings were going. Pressures were being mounted on people to step down.
“Even on the night of the convention meetings were going on. That is why we started our convention late.
“Some of the retired generals were involved. Some of the meetings were held in their houses. There is nothing they didn’t do for me to step down.
“Those who know me, know that I would have stopped the convention, even if heaven falls.
“But I said for peace to reign, let the convention go on. Now a candidate has emerged. And we need to win elections as a party. That is the ultimate, winning elections.
“But the right things must be done. It was agreed and it has been the practice of the party that if the candidate comes from the North, the national chairman should come from the South.
“The candidate (Atiku) knows all these. He even said it to me when he came to my house in Abuja.
This is a developing story….