After Tambuwal Lost At PDP Convention, Wike Rallies Support For Atiku

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has urged all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to support former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who had emerged as the Presidential Candidate of the main opposition party in its convention on Sunday.

Wike was allegedly said to have been a strong supporter of Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, and had insisted Port-Harcourt host the convention in other to make sure his preferred candidate emerged the standard-bearer of the PDP in the 2019 Presidential race.

Recall that Wike had said that Rivers state will not support desperate PDP presidential aspirant who is fighting the hosting of the party’s presidential primary in Port Harcourt.

He had also warned that Rivers People will teach PDP a bitter lesson if it allows itself to be used by presidential aspirants to take the primaries away from the state.

“Let me warn the party, if you dare, Rivers State will teach the party a lesson. Those days have passed when they took Rivers State for granted. Nobody can use and dump Rivers State.

“No presidential aspirant can use and dump Rivers State,” the Rivers Governor had said, days before the election.

His earlier vituperation had suggested that he could hijack the national convention and install whoever he wishes as PDP presidential flagbearer and that his support was against the former vice president.

But Wike in a statement on Monday described the PDP is “one family” that must work together to defeat a common enemy, the President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Federal Government.

He said the country needs to chart a new direction in the interest of the people.

“We are one family. You may support aspirant A or B, but once a candidate emerges, you owe it a duty to make sure your party returns to power.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure that we don’t give APC any gap. They have failed Nigerians and we will take over in 2019.

“The entire country needs a new government. Definitely, we don’t need APC to return to power in 2019,” he said.

He said that the successful hosting of the party’s National Convention in the Rivers State capital (Port Harcourt) has once again shown that Port Harcourt is a peaceful location for national events.

“My happiness today is that the convention was successful and it went on without hitches”, he added.