The People Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday, recorded a big haul in Rivers State, with the defection of more than 7,000 members of the All Progressives Party (APC) to join its fold, The Sun reports.
This is coming at a time the state governor, Nyesom Wike, said every plot against the state ahead of the 2019 general elections would fail. He restated his position that the Police authorities planned to assassinate him by dismissing his security details without his knowledge.
Speaking in Port Harcourt, yesterday, while receiving thousands of APC defectors to the PDP the governor, who said there was no crisis in the PDP, accused the Federal Government of trying to foment crisis in the party because the APC was “fumbling.”
Wike said: “Police said they gave me 221 policemen and that there was no time they planned to kill me. You know what 221 is. Where are they? The point is that did the IG hold meeting with four Commissioners of Police of different states or not? You dismissed policemen that were my security details; what it means is that, if some persons want to attack me, they should not protect me. I was about going out and I was told I have no (security) aides. If you are not planning to kill me, would you do that?
“So, what is the denial all about? We don’t expect them to say they did it. We know they will deny it. But, let it be on record; I will continue to say that whether they like it or not, we depend on God’s own security and not man’s security. I have said it that whatever strategy they are plotting ahead of 2019 in Rivers State, will not work. If I were they, I will just forget about this state.”
He urged the APC defectors not to be deceived by lies some individuals would tell them, assuring that his administration would be prudent in spending the monthly federation allocation on meaningful projects.
Wike further noted: “They continue to tell the people lies and the people are tired of these lies. They are in Abuja; what are they doing in Abuja? Are you benefitting anything from Abuja? Now that you have entered PDP, you will see that the difference is clear. I thank all of you for retuning back and there will be no discrimination.
“I will not make promise that I cannot fulfil. In May, we will commission our projects. They are projects we have executed with your money. This state was getting N25 billion, N27 billion, N30 billion monthly before. Now, we are getting N7 billion, N8 billion, N9 billion; is it the same? But you can see what we are doing with it and see what they did with N27 billion, N30 billion.
“Let me tell you, because I don’t want anybody to tell you stories, there is no crisis in PDP. What the Federal Government is doing; because they have seen that the APC is fumbling, they want to cause crisis in PDP by using a stooge.
“I can tell you, just relax. We believe in God and God has never disappointed his children. Because of Rivers State, God will intervene; that I can tell you. So, we will continue with what we are doing in the state. We will not be distracted; nobody will distract us. They thought they could distract us, but they are shocked that we are not even bothered by what they are doing. We are still moving ahead. That is to tell you that God is with us.
“You (defectors) came back at the right time. You came back when we are about starting politics of the stomach.
You came when we wanted to begin to empower people. I want to assure that everybody that has returned to the PDP family has equal rights. Leaders at various levels must carry everybody along.
“Our brothers and sisters were kidnapped with lies, but now, we have found them. You (the defectors) must work together with the party.
As you have added in number, our votes will continue to increase. One vote is very important. If we are talking about election in Rivers State, they (APC) should forget it. Rivers State is a pure PDP state. They should go to another state. Whether Abuja likes it or not, this is what Rivers people have said.
“If they really want Nigeria to have free and fair election, then if the card reader fails, postpone the election to the next day. Nigeria has money. They should vote in money. There are certain areas the card reader will not work, then they will use their security to go and carry the result sheets and they will come and tell me they did manual election.
Since INEC is using card reader, let it be card reader all the way. They should put all the money they said they have been recovering in INEC so that they (INEC) will do proper election.”
