Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has told his Rivers counterpart, Nyesom Wike that he would lose the 2023 presidency bid on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ganduje, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governor, said this while receiving Wike during his visit to the Government House Kano.
Wike was in the state to meet with PDP stakeholders ahead of the presidential primary elections scheduled for May 28/29.
Edo: Wike vs Ganduje
The duo, had, during the 2020 Edo governorship election, led their parties to the state to rally support for their candidates.
While Wike headed the PDP team, Ganduje was team leader for the APC during the election.
During the last-minute campaign, Wike taunted Ganduje, saying he won’t be allowed to use his ‘dollars’ to influence the Edo governorship election.
Wike was reacting to media report quoting “one Ganduje” that he was going to isolate him while the campaign lasted.
And in his response, Wike had said: “Yesterday, I was told and today I read on the pages of newspapers that one Governor Ganduje said that he is going to isolate me until the election is over.”
“If Nigeria is supposed to be a country, who is supposed to be isolated? A man who pockets dollars in ‘babanriga’ from contractors is not isolated and you say that me should be isolated. In this country, where are we heading to?
“Let me tell you why they (APC) made Ganduje the chairman of the campaign council – it is because of the dollars they saw.
“What he doesn’t understand is that we are from the Niger Delta; we shall chop his dollar and we will chop him to a coma. So, Ganduje, your dollar will not work in Edo State, we have integrity in our party,” the governor had added.
Wike’s position might not be unconnected with video of the alleged bribe the governor was said to have received from an unknown contractor and stashed same in his pocket in 2018.
Governor Ganduje had since been cleared by a Federal High Court sitting in Kano which also dismissed the case as lacking in substance.
Two years after
And about two years after, Governor Wike was in Kano Monday to plead with his host to support his 2023 presidential ambition.
But in his response, Governor Ganduje said Wike would not make a success of the bid and therefore advised him to wait till another time, giving the fact that he is a good looser.
“So, you have come to see your brothers and sisters. Good. You are aspiring for the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We see your efforts. And at the end of it, you’d lose, but you’ll be a good loser. I appreciate good losers, because they have courage. And since you are doing it peacefully, you’ll live long to fight again. I congratulate you, Mr ‘Wise’ Wike. Thank you and God bless,” Ganduje told his guest.
Wike begs NWC
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has urged members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to support him as he did to them at the Abuja convention that brought in the new set of leaders.
Wike also said he was the best candidate to defeat the APC in the 2023 contest.
He spoke Tuesday while addressing the PDP NWC, saying he has become a household name in Nigeria.
The governor further cautioned that if the party loses him, it would eventually lose the 2023 election.
Wike charged the party leadership to reward his loyalty to the party with the presidential ticket in the forthcoming party primary, stressing that those who couldn’t win their states for PDP in past elections should not be trusted with wining the Presidential election for the party.
He also made a veiled reference to consensus being championed by the quartet of some presidential aspirants namely; Sokoto state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Bauchi state Governor Bala Mohammed, immediate past Senate President Bukola Saraki and Mohammed Hayatou-Deeen.
Describing himself as a thorough party man, the governor said if given the opportunity, he would liaise with the party in the day-to-day running of the government.
He said: “So I believe I am a thorough party person and should be encouraged to lead the party. It’s very, very important. I know the modus operandi of APC, I can withstand the APC, I can withstand the federal government, just give me the ticket.”
“When we did our convention in 2018, about 10 people contested. There was no consensus. Why in 2019, why are they talking about consensus?
“I don’t believe in these people going around on consensus. I told them that their consensus move is shine shine bobo, the more you look, the less you see. I say I am not going to buy it. It will not work and am not a party to it,” he said.
And in another breath, he said: “I believe in consensus, but based on equity, justice and fairness. But not consensus by those who have conspired, they think they can bring me in, but nobody can bring me into it.”
The governor also warned the party hierarchy not to compromise free and credible exercise during the primaries to avoid litigations, as “this will destroy the party.”
“I will also advise that this time we are in, is a litigation period. There is no election where you don’t see litigation, there is none. It will come. So that we don’t run into problems again, you should try as much as you can if you cannot vacate such an order, try as much as you can to assign people and settle it. There is no issue that cannot be resolved if you are open and transparent,” Wike said.
The governor further said: “The household name now is Wike, so don’t make mistake and lose Wike, because if you lose Wike, you have lost the election. It is not our prayer that we should lose the election.
“So it is important you do the campaign for me; that was how I did it for you too. When I was fighting the former NWC, some of you were supporting them. Now all of you are here.
“One good turn deserves another. So you people should also pay back, because you didn’t go to campaign, but now I am campaigning to you. So, pay back. But please do us the favour to conduct a free and fair election, that will be an advantage for us to win in 2023.”
Ayu responds
Responding, PDP National Chairman Dr Iyorchia Ayu asked Governor Wike to choose between their support and providing a level playing field for all presidential aspirants.
“Incidentally, you want a level playing field from the National Working Committee (NWC). On the other hand, you want the NWC to canvass votes for you and vote for you. You have to choose one, you can’t have both,” Ayu said.
While assuring of a free and fair contest, the PDP chair said: “All our presidential aspirants should stick to issues, they should not attack themselves. By attacking each other, you undermine the party because you will give the opposition the necessary ammunition to attack us when the candidate emerges.”
Obi on consensus
And in a related development, another presidential aspirant and former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi, has advised Nigerians to shop for “problem solvers” as against consensus candidate.
The PDP presidential aspirant stated this Tuesday at Abakaliki while addressing journalists during his consultations with party stakeholders in Ebonyi state.
“Nigerians want a person who will start solving the myriad of problems facing the country. They want someone who will secure lives and property; make the country productive; pull the citizens out of poverty, among other capabilities.
“This is not an issue of delegates because those with large numbers of delegates are still affected by the nation’s problems,” he said.
Obi, who was Atiku Abubakar’s running mate during the 2019 polls, said the sentiment of consensus candidates should not be brought to fore at this time in the nation’s political history.
According to him, the geo-political zone of a candidate should not also amount to much as “what Nigeria needs is to salvage the country. It is important to consider where people come from in a diverse country such as ours for equity’s sake.
“The country, however, needs someone now who will start creating wealth to make the economy viable. I can fix this country having a record of being a trader, of operating in the corporate world, and being a governor among other antecedents.”
Obi clarified issues concerning his earlier support for the fellow aspirant, Abubakar, whom he described as a unifier.
“The PDP has credible aspirants who can lead the country and solve its problems,’’ he stressed. (NAN)