I never said I’d force my candidate on Rivers in 2023. Secondus is slammed by Wike

Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, was very upset by what Uche Secondus, a political opponent and former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said about how he was hesitant to support the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

On Thursday, Wike said he will choose a candidate and announce it in January 2023. Secondus reportedly responded by assuring him that no one could force a candidate on the Rivers population since they were too educated to do so.

But on Saturday, the governor disagreed with the former PDP chairman while the Aluu-Omagwa Road in Ikwerre Local Government Area was being opened (LGA).

This morning, I read in the press that Prince Uche Secondus, a former member of our party, claimed that no one man could force a presidential candidate on the people of Rivers. He doesn’t belong to our party.

His ward kicked him out of this celebration, and the judge agreed. He appealed his case, but he was unsuccessful. He visited the Supreme Court, and the case will be heard on October 23, 2023, he stated.

“I warned him he wouldn’t be national chairman or in charge of the convention,” Wike boasted to the audience. Did he oversee it? Was he present at the national gathering? “No!” was chanted by the audience in unison.

In any event, he continued, “I never said I was going to force my candidate on the Rivers people.” I vowed to let Rivers residents know who I would be supporting and running for office. See, you can’t hold them responsible.

Nyesom Wike and Uche Secondus in one picture
If you haven’t completed your secondary education, you won’t realize that saying “I’ll tell Rivers people who I want to support” doesn’t mean I’m going to force a candidate on you.

Wike asserted that Secondus had no influence over the people of Rivers and that he was the only one who would speak up for them.

“You (Secondus) can’t say that it’s in the best interests of the Rivers people for Atiku to win so that you can get an oil block.Just that. similar to the Rivers South-East senator that you coerced into office while being against the law. Magnus Abe, a man of that degree of education, was set to serve as a senator, he claimed.

“I don’t understand how Secondus could have the nerve to talk to someone like me, who did well in elementary and secondary school, went to college and did well, did youth service, went back to college, went to law school, and was admitted to the bar.

“I’m traveling to Rumuepirikom, my hometown. They will be encouraged by me to cast their ballots where I want them to. I will have nearly all the votes (98%). Let them guarantee their own candidate that they will support them with 5%; I will support them with 98 in my neighborhood.

The neighborhood will exclaim, “Look at it; what don’t we have? The local government chairman gave us this.” He delivered it to us as chief of staff. This was ours as ministers. See what we’re having, governor.

A Split Party
Following his defeat in the PDP presidential primaries in May, Wike and Atiku Abubakar have been at odds over who will lead Iyorchia Ayu.

After the presidential primary, former Vice President Atiku hurt Wike by selecting Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as his running partner rather than his closest challenger.

In order to support Atiku’s bid for the presidency in 2023, Wike and the other four PDP governors, collectively known as the G5 or the Integrity Group, have demanded that Ayu, who was born in Benue, resign and be replaced by a southerner.