From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said concerned stakeholders fought for the change of the immediate past national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because they wanted to reposition the party to win the presidency in 2023.
He said such change of leadership at the national level was also to avert a situation of doom for the party.
Speaking at the flag-off of the Oyigbo-Okoloma Road in Oyigbo Local Government Area, yesterday, performed by the National Chairman of PDP, Iyorchia Ayu, Governor Wike said the party now has good leadership in place to rescue Nigeria from All Progressives Congress (APC) bad governance.
He, therefore, urged the PDP national chairman to brace up to the task ahead of him and capitalise on the opportunity he has to effect positive change in the party and return PDP to the presidency.
The governor declared that Rivers people have no other party than the PDP, which is why they would not allow it to die.
According to him, Rivers is among few states in the country that denied APC 25 percent votes spread during the 2015 and 2019 general election.
On the Oyigbo-Okoloma road project, Governor Wike said it is a federal road that connects neighbouring states like Abia, Akwa-Ibom and Cross River, but was allowed to fail completely.
He said a company that won the bid for Afam Power Station came to indicate interest to partner the Rivers State government for its reconstruction.
According to him, after it was agreed that the company would bear a percentage of the cost, they disappeared.
Governor Wike said Rivers people have taken their destiny in their hands and with 40 percent paid already to the contractor, Lubrik Construction Company, the road would be done to end the sufferings of the Oyigbo people and those who use the road.
Ayu commended Governor Wike and PDP governors for spreading development to every nook and crannies of their states. He said while the APC-controlled government is busy borrowing money from foreign creditors and increasing the debt burden on Nigeria, PDP governors were visible and delivering dividends of democracy.
Ayu berated APC governors, particularly, one of them who he said has abandoned his governorship responsibilities in his state to reside in Abuja to do party chairmanship job.
He said, worst still, another one hid N19 billion in the bank instead of providing development to his people.
Ayu also said his leadership would ensure they increase the number of states controlled by the PDP, produce majority membership of the National Assembly and clinch the presidency in 2023.
“PDP is prepared to expand its base not only in control of states, but in control of the National Assembly and, ultimately, also the return to the villa in Abuja where we shall put a president of PDP extraction,” he said.
The national chairman assured party faithful that the PDP, under his watch, will allow internal democracy to flourish.