Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike has told those saying the country is not ripe for same faith ticket not to at the same time justify any plot to retain the presidency in the North.
Wike spoke on Sunday at the special dedication service for the Rivers Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 General election campaign rallies at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt.
The Governor, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, maintained that persons involved in such doublespeak were trying to hoodwink some gullible few.
He said such individuals know that they were insulting the sensibility of well-meaning Nigerians, who desired a united country to advance national cohesion.
“You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for muslim-muslim ticket, I agree. But Nigeria is ripe for presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, just look at the insult. You blow hot and cold.”
Wike asked those people condemning the same-faith ticket to know that Nigerians were also saying it was wrong to retain the presidency in the North after President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “Most of you just sit there, you don’t ask yourselves questions. Somebody continues to sell this kind of cheap ideas. You don’t ask the person, I agree with what you are saying but look at what we are saying here.
“Your party wants the presidency to go to the same zone where president Muhammadu Buhari is coming from. Who is cheating who?”
The Rivers Governor also reminded the church of the need for it to participate in the voting process.
He, however, warned them against serving as cannon fodder to any party or political actor.
Wike pleaded with the church to be careful and resist those politicians, who come to mobilise them as if there was a religious war to wage.
He said: “It is not now that politics have come, you want to come and tell the church a different story for your own personal interest.
“We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because, all of us, for example, we are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that.”
Credit- The Nation
