Following a challenge by the former Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside, on Tuesday, on Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike to name his presidential candidate as he promised, the governor has said he never promised to do so on camera.
Speaking during a campaign rally in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Wike said “You have the guts to tell me I should name my presidential candidate. Are we at the same level? Failure and success, are they the same?”
“Look at the man who is always failing every day. He does not understand the activities of G5. I have told most people who don’t know, G5 that we’re fighting is like guerilla warfare. The more you look, the less you see.
“I never told anybody one day, I will bring a camera and announce to you this is who will go. I said I will tell Rivers people the candidate they will support. I did not tell you the method of saying it. I did not tell you I will bring live coverage and say it. But Rivers people know.”
Additionally, Wike derided Peterside over his defeat in the 2015 and 2019 governorship races.
“Look at this small boy whom I flogged in 2015. I don’t know where they say he comes from – is it Abia or Opobo side, which of the areas? Envy! I flogged him out in 2015.
“He has not recovered from that. He thought they would give him a ticket in 2019, but he didn’t get [it]. They sent him to be NIMASA. Ask him, what did he bring for Rivers people?
“You have a position, you cannot help your people, and you’re coming out to open your mouth, simply because you didn’t get [the ticket] and they did not give you a second term to be DG of NIMASA,” he said.
Wike also sent out a note of warning to the Police Command in the state to carry out their duties effectively or be prepared to be replaced by another security outfit.
He said, “and this is what I want to tell The Police, Rivers State Command you are the one supporting them to disobey the law to cause violence.”
“If you don’t want to do your duty let us know, and I will release our neighborhood watch. If you don’t do your work we will take over your work from you.”
Governor Wike also admonished the police against supporting those responsible for causing chaos in the state, maintaining their hot-cold stance was the wrong approach.
“You cannot support people who are breaking the law, you know the truth of the matter, and you are scared so they don’t transfer you,” he said.
“Your duty is not supposed to be permanent as security personnel you can be sent anywhere any day, But your indecisiveness will not save you. Do your work and don’t be intimidated.”
“They forget how they used the military, was it not here they used the military to carry ballot papers, they forget how the military occupied all the collation centres to take all the materials.”
