By Philip Ezuma, Port Harcourt
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has offered candid political advice to Ahmed Makarfi, a former governor of Kaduna State, to make sure that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wins all elections in his State.
The Rivers State governor said it was better for Makarfi, who was the former national acting chairman of the PDP, to focus on the forthcoming 2023 general election and how he will ensure victory for the PDP in Kaduna State, instead of joining to say uncanny things about him.
Governor Wike gave the advice on Tuesday at the inauguration of the sand-filled area and estate layout in Ogbum-Nu-Abali, Port Harcourt, which was performed by Enugu State governor, Ífeanyi Ugwuanyi.
“This morning, I was watching Channels, I saw the former national acting chairman of the party, PDP, Makarfi, and he said he is very close to me. I don’t know how close he is to me.
“Somebody who is close to me, I don’t know when last we spoke. I have never spoken to him for the past five months. So, if you’re close to somebody politically, there is no way in five months you won’t have spoken to the person is it not?
“He said, Wike, you’re sabotaging other people. I don’t know who says the other people have not. What I want to advise Makarfi is, look, you have a job, make sure PDP wins in Kaduna State. That is your job, leave Wike alone.
“Take it upon yourself that Kaduna falls to PDP. I don’t want to hear excuses that they rigged elections or they didn’t rig elections. That is what I’ve told everybody. In Kano, make sure PDP wins. In Niger, make PDP wins, in Jigawa, make sure PDP wins. If you win, then see whether PDP wins here or not. It’s an operation to deliver your State. Don’t use anybody’s state to add up.”
Governor Wike also urged some Rivers politicians who delight in joining the company of politicians of other States to receive their defectors into PDP to return home and work to increase the numerical strength of the party in Rivers State. According to him, the best way to show capacity to deliver votes for the party will be to deliver votes from the polling units, wards and the State.
“It’s not to go to Abuja and begin to gossip, say all kinds of things, come home and mobilise, let us see the capacity you have. Its operation deliver your polling units, operation deliver your ward, operation deliver your local government. That is what politics is all about”, he said.
