BY MAYOWA SAMUEL
The People’s Democratic Party has condemned the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for publicly endorsing Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress for a second term as Lagos State governor, despite knowing Olajide Adediran is the candidate of the party.
Wike on Tuesday endorsed Sanwo-Olu for re-election at the 2022 Annual Conference of Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials held at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos Island.
Wike, who was speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the event said, “Your Excellency, my dear brother, my friend, the governor of the Center of Excellence, by the grace of God who will be a second term governor.
“If Sanwo-Olu is not doing well, even if he belongs to my party, I won’t come. So, for me, if you are in my party, and you are not doing well, you won’t see me. If you are in my party, and you are doing well, you will see me, and that is what I stand for. I will not regret to say that I’m in support of you,” he added.
Wike had been in a heated feud with the PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu for refusing to keep to his word of stepping down if the party’s presidential candidate emerges from the north.
Expressing dissatisfaction with Wike’s endorsent of Sanwo-Olu, the PDP in a statement by its state’s publicity secretary, Hakeem Amode described the Rivers Governor’s action as a “usual rant of a drowning man who will clutch at a straw.”
Wondering why the former presidential aspirant “would apportion to himself the decision of generality of Lagosians in the forthcoming election,” Amode said it was “worrisome that Governor Wike will call Sanwo-Olu a performer without asking how many times he has invited anyone to Lagos for the commissioning of the ordinary borehole in his almost four years in office as Governor.”
The PDP in the statement made available to The Point, promised to render “Sanwo-Olu jobless and send him to the club of former governors next year,” as only God and Lagosians can determine who becomes governor in 2023, not Wike.
Adding his voice to the condemnation was a spokesman for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign, Daniel Bwala speaking with The Point, stated that Wike shouldn’t be taken seriously as he had no say or influence in votes in Lagos.
Bwala said, “He’s not a Lagosian, he has not lived in Lagos. He doesn’t have the voting power to influence anything, other than talk on the microphone and give money. Jandor is a Lagosian, a politician and he has his people.”
“At the end of the day, the voters will speak. Electronic transmission of results, has demystified all these big names called governors, we are no longer moved by one big personality. God will do it by the voters, the voters are the ultimate deciders of this election,” a confident Bwala stated.
On his part, Lagos Central PDP senatorial aspirant, Tokunbo Pearse, described the Rivers Governor’s action in Lagos as “political mischief and the act of a jester,” as he wondered why he would endorse a “useless governor” who has done nothing since becoming governor.
Claiming that Sanwo-Olu is regarded in the state “as a personal assistant to Tinubu,” and has abandoned his job since Tinubu started running for president, Pearse asked Wike to state the grouse he has with Adediran.
Pearse said, “What’s the point in a governor of one state coming to endorse a governor of another state? Does he have a vote in Lagos? Is he the one to tell Lagosians if this governor has performed? This governor who has done nothing in almost four years? The governor is regarded by the people in Lagos as a Personal Assistant to Tinubu and abandoned his job since Tinubu started running for president.
“Whether it is Wike or whoever comes from outside to come and endorse him, it doesn’t mean anything, he has no value, he has no clout, nobody is impressed, that’s his own personal business. Everybody is left to his own opinion in a democracy but the people should decide whether they want this governor back or not.
“We the people of Lagos can see that this is a useless governor who has performed the worst in the history of this state, even Tinubu did better than him when he was governor.
“He (Wike) should state his personal reasons, what he has against Jandor, what transpired between them. There must be something personal, for him to come all the way, to come and endorse Sanwo-Olu.
“At least, we’ve seen Wike commissioning projects. Have you seen Sanwo-Olu commissioning projects? How many projects has Sanwo-Olu invited Wike to come and commission for him? So, there’s a reason behind what he’s saying, that’s his own business. But that will not divert the attention of the people of Lagos from voting Sanwo-Olu out of office and voting in the PDP candidate,” he stated further.
