Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has charged all candidates contesting the 2023 in Cross River State under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to remain strong, firm and not panic over political developments in the party at the National level as well as in their State where the PDP is now an opposition Party. Governor Wike hosted all the PDP candidates of Cross River State at the Government House of Rivers State on Wednesday.
The Cross River State PDP delegation to Rivers State led by the Governorship candidate, Senator Sandy Onor, a seating Senator from Cross River Central district, also had Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of the northern senatorial district and all other National Assembly candidates of the party; the State Assembly candidates and the State leadership of the party led by the state chairman Vena Ikem, accompanied by local government chapter chairmen.
The meeting is to show solidarity with Governor Wike over his position in the current crisis at the national level of the party. Addressing his guests, Governor Wike commended the Cross River PDP members for standing firm. “Continue to be firm and strong. I am here. Now I have started politics. How many of them came to support you in your time of need? None. They say we are nobody, tell them we are something. Very soon they will see something. Don’t panic,” he said.
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Several reports have emerged that Wike, at the event, promised a donation of 25 buses for campaigns and billions of naira for the PDP in Cross River State. Speaking earlier, Onor said “we are here as a delegation from Cross River state: complete in our numbers. We came here to say thank you so much for being a proper friend and a great leader to us when Gov. Ben Ayade eloped with our mandate to the APC. You made promise to us that you will not leave us alone. If you stand by us, we will stand by you. That is what you have seen today.”
“Let me say this and I will like to be quoted: ‘Nobody in the contemporary history of the PDP has given more for this party to remain the same! Nobody has contributed more. Nobody has sacrificed more than Gov. Wike has done. So when we see palpable attempt to minimize the maximum, we stand up and say this is not possible. Gov. Wike is not asking for anything personal. He seeks justice within the party.”
Also speaking, the Senator representing northern senatorial district, Sen. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, revealed that for him to emerge a senator, it took the interventions of Gov. Wike. On his part, the State Chairman of PDP in Cross River, Mr. Vena Ikem Esq. said without mincing words, “we appreciate you from the depth of our hearts. Each day I think of what you have done for us since governor Ayade left with the PDP mandate to the APC, I can only imagine. Let me thank Senator Sandy Onor for leading you to us. You have been more than a Governor to us.”