Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, has tackled Wike, challenging him to a debate over his recent comment that he will not win elections without PDP.
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, had urged the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), to give the presidential ticket to someone who will not run away from the party.
The presidential hopeful made the plea at the weekend during a consultative meeting with stakeholders and political leaders of the party in Ebonyi State.
Wike, while commenting on the forthcoming general election, vowed to ensure that PDP suceeded David Umahi in Ebonyi State.
According to him, “I’m here in Ebonyi State to let you know that you should not border on the setbacks you have, that the law must take its prepared place at the right time. I don’t want to send any delegation to the people of Ebonyi, I told Governor Ugwuanyi that I’m coming personally so that you look into my eyes and I will look at your eyes.
“And nobody born of a woman shall tell me not to enter Ebonyi, I say nobody. I’m a full committed party member of PDP. I joined PDP when it was founded in 1998. Anything I’m today by the special Grace of God, as chairman of LGA to governor, Minister and it is PDP that gave it to me.
“Therefore, I owe PDP a lot and I will continue to support PDP. I’m not one of those who will reap and abandoned those who helped him. Go and tell whoever that is anywhere, that whatever you sow, you will reap. All those that PDP helped to be in power and have betrayed PDP, the judgment will come one day.
“I told Ebonyi people that you must take back your party secretariat and to the glory of God, we are here today. Let me tell you the truth, nobody can intimidate me, Not one. And I want my colleague in Ebonyi, David Umahi to hear me well. Wherever you are, wherever you may be, hear me now.
“PDP laboured and put their sleepless night and PDP won the election and you took the mandate of our people and go to another party, anybody who has conscience’, if you know you are a man and very strong and any day they put election you will win, I challenge you to resign and then come and contest election to know whether you will win again.
“We will continue to fight against injustice, we will fight for democracy. I’m making myself available to defeat APC in the forthcoming 2023 general election. My dear Ebonyi people, I’m here to tell you, I will stand by you, I will support you any day anytime.
“What PDP want is who will win election, give me this ticket, let me go and defeat APC for you. I’m not running for president to be given vice president. I’m not running to be called former presidential aspirant. I didn’t buy another form, Incase this one didn’t work, I will go back to it. If you have told Ebonyi people and Nigerians that you are running for president, why are you collecting another form for other positions” he stated.
Reacting, Umahi, who is equally a presidential aspirant under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC),described his Rivers State counterpart as a lawyer that does not know the law.
He said, “I am calling him to debate, he wants to be President, I want to be President, let us do a debate so that the world would see how intellectual property would be deployed.”
