-Lashes out at Labour Party Church Campaigns
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike on Sunday condemned the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying Nigeria is not ripe for it He also said that efforts to retain power in the North by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was equally as bad.
Also, in what seemed like an affront against Peter Obi. the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Wike said it was wrong to campaign in churches. Condemning the Muslim-Muslim ticket, Wike also said that nothing justifies efforts at retaining the presidency in the North.
Wike, who was an active supporter of attempts to breach power rotation between the North and the south under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, spoke at a special dedication service of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaigns in the state.
Speaking at the service, held at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt, Wike noted that the campaigns were for the governorship, national and state assembly elections. He was silent on the presidential campaign of his party.
Governor Wike maintained that those campaigning for the retention of power in the North were insulting the sensibility of some Nigerians.
“You play on people’s intelligence; you say Nigeria is not ripe for a Muslim-Muslim ticket; I agree. But Nigeria is ripe for the presidency to remain in one zone? I mean, look at the insult. You blow hot and cold”, he said.
Wike also called on the church to be mindful of the need to participate in the voting process. However, he said, it should not get involved to the extent of serving as cannon fodder against any political party or actor. Governor Wike warned the church to resist politicians who come to mobilise it against other faiths.
“It is not now that politics have come; you want to come and tell the church a different story for your own personal interest. We have to be careful so that the church is not destroyed. Because all of us, for example, are Anglicans, I will not allow anybody, for his selfish interest, to destroy the church of Nigeria. I will not allow that,” he said in what his close aides said was an attack on Peter Obi, the Labour Party candidate who has turned the church into his campaign ground.
Meanwhile, Governor Wike has warned that his administration will not allow those who in the past instigated wanton destruction of lives and property in the State under the guise of politics to repeat same.
On the issue of Executive Order 21 and 22, the governor advised the state’s politicians to approach the court rather than take the laws into their hands. He insisted that until the court declares otherwise, the government will ensure full implementation of the orders.
