PDP Primary: Wike finally speaks on Tambuwal’s withdrawal

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers States, on Monday, said he could have scuttled the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary on Saturday night over the withdrawal of Aminu Tambuwal but that he allowed peace to reign.

The primary was held at MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja to elect the presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general election.

Wike slammed his Sokoto counterpart, Aminu Tambuwal over his withdrawal from the presidential primary of the PDP on Saturday.

Wike spoke on Monday at a ceremony organised in Port Harcourt to welcome him from Abuja after the party’s presidential primary where he was floored by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

He said, “I’ve never seen how people can violate procedure, guideline. Somebody has spoken, it’s at that point he was speaking that he can say I’m withdrawing. You don’t call him back.”

“I just said, look, this our party must not be destroyed. I would have left where I was sitting down and said no, this convention can’t go on except you allow me to talk and I would have flattened that they say is a human being (Tambuwal), I would have flattened him.”

READ ALSO: Neighbours reveal real cause of Folake Abiola’s death

“When you see people, a sitting governor won the election with 300 votes, which votes will he give? So it’s God’s will, let’s not bother ourselves so much.”

“If I wanted to scuttle the convention, I would have done that and I told them. There are people you think they are human beings but they are not human beings,” he said.

Governor Wike vented his anger on the party leaders for allowing the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, to speak for a second time after exhausting the time allotted for each aspirant to address the delegate.

Mr Tambuwal, while addressing the delegates the second time, announced his withdrawal from the race and directed his delegates to vote for Mr Abubakar.

The development, Mr Wike said, violated the convention’s “procedures and guidelines.”

Political analysts believe Mr Wike could probably have scored more votes if not for the last-minute withdrawal of Mr Tambuwal, from the primary.

In a video that captured his visit to the Sokoto governor, the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, could be heard hailing Mr Tambuwal as the “hero of the convention”.

Mr Abubakar, 75, polled 371 votes to clinch the party presidential ticket, while Governor Wike came second with 237 votes.

Bukola Saraki, a former president of the Nigerian Senate, came third with 70 votes, while Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel, came fourth with 38 votes.

Mr Wike, despite his remarks, has declared political support for Mr Abubakar and the PDP for the 2023 elections.

Newsflash Nigeria is an online newspaper that is developed and written exclusively for Nigerians. It’s packed with up-to-the-minute Local and National Economy News, Share & Capital Market, Health, Sports, Education, Technology, Business and Opinions.

To make further advert enquiries or place an order, please contact us at [email protected] and +2348053316946 and WhatsApp number 08033546732