Wilson Adekumola
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that the G-5 governors had never for once agreed to back the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, in the just-concluded presidential election, held on February 25.
Wike made this clarification in live media chat on Wednesday saying that the G-5 only reached an agreement to ensure the emergence of a Southern President.
He said, “There was never a time the integrity Group met and say it must be this person. We only agreed on southern President. We formulated strategies and the southern President emerged. Our interest is that a southern President should emerge.
“When we went to our meeting, we decided on southern President. We didn’t say it must be this. We said whatever you are doing it must be southern President. The aim of G5 was equity, fairness and justice”.
Wike explaned that some of the G-5 governors such as Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Samuel Ortom of Benue and Victor Ikpeazu of Abia made concerted efforts to ensure the emergence of a southern President.
On the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, he said though he was re-elected, he had earlier said he would not mind sacrificing his second term on the altar of equity, justice and fairness.
The Rivers Governor said, “Ortom said even if he loses his senatorial election, let equity, justice and fairness prevail. He may not gain it now. But history will be kind to him. Same applies to Ugwuanyi and Ikpeazu. Even Makinde said even if he lost his governorship ambition, he was interested in the unity of Nigeria”.
Asked whether justice and equity prevailed since the southeast did not produce the President, Wike noted that the winning capacity of an individual and his party structure must also be evaluated.
“We have different interest when you come to the south. People must choose who is likely to win election. To win election in Nigeria you must have the spread. What we are saying is that power should shift to the south”, he said.