Governor Nyesom Wike has joined the race for the 2023 presidency under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike in Makurdi, Benue state told PDP stakeholders gathering on Sunday that he wants to be Nigeria’s next President to tackle unabated insecurity and engender rule of law.
“It is obvious I am going to run for the presidency of this country. I am declaring for the first time in Benue state because of my special relationship with them. People are not suspecting, but let it be known today that I am announcing it in Benue because I have a special relationship with this state”, the Rivers state governor declared.
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He stated that under his presidency, Service Chiefs and heads of security agencies would be availed requisite equipment and incentives to discharge their constitutional obligations with defined timelines to tackle lingering insecurity with no room for excuses.
According to him, “Today, you can’t talk about security in this country and you understand that without security you can’t talk about governance. One first thing anybody who takes an oath of office swears to is that you must protect life and property.
“If you can’t protect life and property then you can’t talk about governance. So the major thing is that our people should be alive”, he asserted.
Condemning the weekend’s terrorist attack on the Kaduna International Airport, Wike said Nigerians urgently needs a leader who can address the growing insecurity in the country.
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Blaming the failure to attract direct foreign investment into the country on lack of leadership respect for rule of law, the governor stated, “Nobody can bring investment in this country because there is no respect for the rule of law.
“Nobody obeys court order. Who will come and invest his money when the court gives its judgement and it will not be obeyed. So, I am going to run for election and victory will be ours.”
On the manner of rival PDP members aspiring for the party ticket, the eccentric Rivers Governor said, “Those who want to be president now were the problems of the party in 2015.
“They ran away when the party needed them most. But I have stood and worked for this party. I have nowhere to run to because I take it personally that the party should not die. I challenge anyone in a debate what they did for PDP.”
He solicited the support of delegates ahead of the PDP’S presidential primary, saying he has all required to defeat the All Progressives Congress, adding that when some of those seeking to get the party’s ticket left to gang with the APC, he and others remained and sustained the party.
