Chidi Samuel
The governor of oil-rich Rivers State, South-South Nigeria, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will pay a price if it moves its national convention out of Port Harcourt.
Wike made the threat while hosting governor of Gombe state and presidential aspirant, Ibrahim Dankwambo in Port Harcourt.
According to the governor, Rivers people will teach PDP a bitter lesson if the party changes the convention venue.
Wike said, “I don’t know why anyone who wants to be president, will be afraid of a venue. Then you are not prepared for the election.”
“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.
“Nobody should dare Rivers State any longer. Enough is enough. PDP should know that we are not a punching bag. We are not a people you can use and push. We are not harlots. Whenever you want, you come. When you finish, you push us aside.
“We will retaliate at the appropriate time. When you go, tell your colleagues, the Presidential Aspirants. We were not interested, but having given it to us, you cannot insult us.
“We will retaliate at the appropriate time. When you go, tell your colleagues, the Presidential Aspirants. We were not interested, but having given it to us, you cannot insult us.”
He claimed there are some of the aspirants who have been planted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to fight the PDP and promised to release their name at the right time.
“You come here to deceive us about restructuring. Just that Rivers State is a venue, you fight it. Then, when you are there, what will happen? You think we are fools where you preach restructuring, then when you get the position, you abandon restructuring,” he said.
It will be recalled that PDP’s national working committee (NWC) had fixed the convention slated for October 6 for Port Harcourt but some of the presidential aspirants are not comfortable with the choice of Rivers state as venue.