Why I met with Obasanjo, Tinubu, Obi, Atiku –Wike
By Amaka Agbu
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday, returned to Nigeria after a five-day visit to Europe and explained why he met with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu;;Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP); and Atiku Abubakar, standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic (PDP) in the course of his trip.
The governor arrived at the Port Harcourt International Airport on Friday in company of the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom and Abia State governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu.
Speaking with journalists at the airport after his arrival, Wike said the meetings with the presidential candidates “is in the interest of Nigeria, “explaining that topmost on the agenda is how to make Nigeria better than what is it currently.
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The Rivers State governor noted that all is not well with Nigeria and they are seeking remedies that will restore enduring hope in Nigeria.
He said: “I can confirm that this is the first time as a team that we are meeting with presidential candidates.
“We met with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC and we met with our leader, former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo.
“We met the presidential candidate of Labour Party. We also met with our presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. For whatever it’s worth, consultation is ongoing.
“Whatever we are talking about is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not parochial and tied to one person or group of persons.
“We believe that with what is going on, it will be for the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day.”
Wike decried the situation where standard, training and competence have always been traded for mediocrity.
He said leadership should not be about one individual and the interest of his family, but about the collective interest of everybody.
“Consultation is still ongoing. Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this country.
“Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody. It’s unfortunate that we are in a country now where a man finishes eight years as a governor and brings his own son as a governor too and as a member of the National Assembly.
“It’s only in this part of the world that you can see that when we are talking about poverty everywhere. These are people who do not mean well for this Nigeria,” he stated
Wike also wondered why religion and ethnicity are used as the tenable identity to describe Nigerians when competence is required.
Continuing, Wike said: “The only identity they have in this country is religion and ethnicity, nothing more. It’s either, I’m a Christian or I’m a Moslem, I’m a Fulani or I’m an Igbo. Nigeria cannot move forward except they think it will be them. That’s where we are.
“We are in a country where someone with a primary school certificate can be appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. That tells you how bad this country has become.
“But with our consultation, all these will be a thing of the past. No amount of intimidation or blackmail will deter us. We are determined to right the wrong.”
Also speaking, Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, who was the leader of the Wike team, said: “We are looking at how we can harness ideas and put ourselves together to ensure that we get out of the present challenge we are in Nigeria today.
“From top to bottom, consider what has happened from 2015 and where we are today. So, what we are doing is a concern that we have for our country, Nigeria.
“This is beyond partisan politics. We are looking at how we can come together and find a way of ensuring that Nigeria survives. Nigeria is on a drip, Nigeria is on oxygen and it is about how we can get out of this.
“We have individually also had earlier commitments in Europe even if consultations are still going on because nothing concrete has been decided. The consultation is going on and will continue to go on. We are still going to meet here.”
