“I don’t know why anyone who wants to be president will be afraid of a venue. Then, you are not prepared for the election.”

Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has threatened to unveil the identities of presidential aspirants on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are moles of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Apart from revealing the names of aspirants allegedly working with the APC-led Federal Government to scuttle PDP primary “at the appropriate time” he also said there would be consequences if the PDP succumbed to pressures from the moles to move the party’s National Convention away from Port Harcourt.

READ ALSO: PDP convention: Aspirants opposed to P’Harcourt against Rivers – Wike

The PDP national convention, where its presidential candidate will be nominated, is scheduled for October 5-6.

Speaking during a consultative visit by the Gombe State Governor and presidential aspirant, Dr. Ibrahim Dankwambo, at the Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday, Governor Wike said at the PDP’s national meeting, no presidential aspirant opposed Port Harcourt as a venue.

He declared that Rivers people will teach the party a bitter lesson if it allowed planted desperate aspirants to scuttle the hosting of the primary in Port Harcourt, as agreed by leaders of the party.

He said any aspirant fighting Rivers should forget about the support of the state, during and after the National Convention.

“Let me warn the party, if you dare, Rivers State will teach the party a lesson. Those days have passed when they took Rivers State for granted. Nobody can use and dump Rivers State.

“No presidential aspirant can use and dump Rivers State. We never lobbied for it, we never asked for it (to host the convention), but it will boost the economy of the state. People will make money. Those, who are against Rivers people making money to improve their businesses, will not get our support.”

He said whether the National Convention holds in Jigawa or Adamawa, the candidate preferred by the delegates would emerge.

“I don’t know why anyone who wants to be president will be afraid of a venue. Then, you are not prepared for the election.

“Nobody should dare Rivers State any longer. Enough is enough. PDP should know that we are not a punching bag. We are not a people you can use and push. We are not harlots. Whenever you want, you come. When you finish, you push us aside.

“We will retaliate at the appropriate time. When you go, tell your colleagues, the presidential aspirants, we were not interested, but having given it to us (to host), you cannot insult us.”

The governor pointed out that there were persons, who are not presidential materials, but have bought forms simply because the presidency is zoned to the North.

READ ALSO: Owie advocates North, South East presidency for next 8 years

He wondered why an aspirant would say he was uncomfortable with Port Harcourt as a venue, but would love Rivers oil.

“You come here to deceive us about restructuring. Just that Rivers State is a venue, you fight it. Then, when you are there, what will happen? You think
we are fools? You preach restructuring, then when you get the position, you abandon restructuring.”

According to Wike, no aspirant will use a few members of the Board of Trustees of PDP to scuttle the decision of the party to host the exercise in Port Harcourt. The governor described Governor Dankwambo as eminently qualified to contest the position of president.

Meanwhile, Dankwambo has appealed to Rivers PDP delegates to support his aspiration as he has the capacity to set the country on the path of growth. Dankwambo who noted the crisis of development being suffered by the country was a result of the leadership vacuum at the federal level said he has the training, exposure and experience to lead the country in the right direction.

He cautioned against Nigerians repeating the error of 2015, when her claimed they chose promises ahead of performance. However, he said he would support whoever emerged as presidential candidate should it turn out that party delegates vote in a different direction.

READ ALSO: 2019: We’ll support whoever emerges as PDP Presidential candidate – Turaki