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“If the party is now a one-man show, we will show them that we can resist it. We are with Wike 100 per cent.”

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has explained why he believes Nyesom Wike will never support the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

Mr Fayose, in an exclusive telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, said power must shift to the southern part of Nigeria in 2023 after the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.

The former governor also recounted how Mr Atiku “promised” to make Mr Wike, the Rivers State governor, his running mate after he was declared winner of the PDP presidential primary election.

According to the former Ekiti governor, Mr Atiku failed to fulfil his promise to Mr Wike when he settled for the Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.

“Wike never said he wanted to be VP, but when Atiku visited him, he was the one who said, ‘I want you to be my VP’. He said that to Wike. If that then changes, is Wike not supposed to be told? Is he not supposed to know?”

He recalled that Mr Atiku had ignored the recommendation of a committee set up by the opposition party to pick his running mate.

“PDP set up a committee to recommend a running mate for the candidate and the committee voted and picked Wike, but they didn’t comply with the recommendation of the committee.”

“If the party is now a one-man show, we will show them that we can resist it. We are with Wike 100 per cent.

“When they need Wike’s money and Wike’s support, they will say, ‘Wike is good enough’. Wike has been injured, but we will remain with him. Whatever he does is what we would do; wherever he asks us to go is where we will go.”

When asked what would happen should Mr Wike ask them to support Mr Atiku, the former governor said: “Wike will never say we should support Atiku.

“Wike cannot come out to say he is supporting Atiku. I dare him to say so; because he knows that whatever he says will haunt him forever. If Wike supports Atiku, we will abandon him.”

Contacted for a response, Paul Ibe, Mr Atiku’s spokesperson, said his principal and the party will continue to appeal to aggrieved persons within their fold to embrace dialogue.

“Because the bigger challenge is winning the election, kicking out the APC and stopping them from the many years of impoverishing our people,” said Mr Ibe.

“It is normal for our people to be aggrieved but the PDP has a way of resolving issues like this and that will be done and we all shall be happy.”

On whether the plan is now to technically support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, or his counterpart in the Labour Party, Peter Obi, Mr Fayose said: “this is not about Bola Tinubu or Obi, but this is about our belief that power must come to the south and it is a struggle we must actualise.

Mr Fayose further explained that “when the June 12 election was cancelled, the presidency was zoned to the southwest to pacify the southwest region.

“When former President Goodluck Jonathan was over staying, it was believed that he was already using the northern slot. So, he was opposed and a northern candidate was installed through the APC.

“This time, it is the turn of the south because Buhari has spent eight years. Why will PDP be insisting that it must again be the turn of the north.”

Mr Fayose also stated that he does not care if his actions are perceived as anti-party activity.

“ What I am saying is, it is the turn of the South, and if they want to expel me, to hell with them. I am not taking money from anyone to belong to this party.

Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma has chided Nigerians for raising what he termed unnecessary controversy over the basic school certificates of the presidential flagbearer of the All Progressive Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Imo State Governor, however, said given the timeline available for their candidate, INEC would be furnished with the necessary documents before the time elapses.

Uzodinma gave his views after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Tuesday, shortly before the President departed for Portugal for a state visit.

But reacting to the development, Uzodimna said, “Well, all the things so mentioned are entire party challenges that will be resolved. But for my presidential candidate, the issue of certificates shouldn’t even arise.

“In 1999 he contested elections and became the governor of Lagos, in 2003 he contested election second-term governor of Lagos. He ran and won as a senator in the country, where record keeping is efficient, and the INEC server is functional, he doesn’t need to do a fresh submission. However, if whatever he is supposed to submit is not handy, it is not late yet. I’m sure before the time he will submit whatever is required of him”.

Your business is not growing, sit down with the word. If Jesus was to be the one doing this business, will he owe everybody? You owe everywhere. You collected loan from bank, yet your business did not grow. You say, ‘no contract, it’s because I am not in APC and PDP.’ It’s a lie; it’s because you don’t know the word. When you keep failing, you look for excuses. ‘If I was to be in APC and Codine, I will win.

If I was to be in PDP and PSC, I will win.’ It’s a lie; if you were to be in the word. Church Gist. Are there no losers in PDP and APC? Is it everybody that is winning? Inside the PDP, there’s PDP. Inside APC, there’s APC.

People who are getting money out of those parties are very few. The rest majority, they even trample them when they are doing campaign. They die in stadium, nothing, 1,000. Don’t collect money all of you; because you don’t know the Word now, they give you 5,000 you go collect. If you collect money to vote, you’re Esau. You’re complete Esau, you sold your birthright. Church Gist. Don’t collect money, vote who your conscience tells you to vote.

Poverty, don’t collect money. Okay, how much will somebody give you, when you eat today, won’t you eat tomorrow? Some of you are saying, ‘this man na him go give us money.’ If any man gives you money to vote him, he is not going to perform; because a man who will perform will not give you money. Church Gist. Anybody who gives you money to vote will never perform. First class students don’t sort. If you see a student sorting, he is naturally a dull student. So, anybody paying money is a dull leader who will not perform. Shout halleluyah!

“The conducive environment you see today in Lagos that Igbos are enjoying while doing their businesses were put in place by my father Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

“These people left their home town and we accepted them wholeheartedly in Lagos State, provided all they needed yet they are not grateful. Instead they keep attacking my father at any slightest opportunity.

“Without this man, there will be nothing like Igbos in Lagos State. They made their Billions here. Some of them don’t even know their hometown anymore because they now prefer Lagos than where they are coming from.

“Now, it’s time for them to reciprocate the kind gesture my father has shown to them over the years by supporting his Presidential ambition, they now resort to blackmail and all sorts of attacks on the person that made them whim they are in Lagos State today.

“They locked up their shops just to get their PVCs something that has never happened before just because my father is contesting for the President of this country. Simply because they don’t want him.

“We have tolerated their excesses for so long now, therefore the earlier we put them in their position, the better. We are watching them closely because if you are Rome, you must respect, adore and support the culture of the Romans and whatever they are doing. You can’t be in Rome and be against the Romans. Never!”

~ Folasade Mujidat Tinubu Ojo