The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has stated that Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is not the custodian of votes in the state.
Wike had previously stated that he would never support Atiku’s presidential bid in 2023.
After losing the presidential primaries, he and five other PDP governors were dissatisfied with Atiku and the party’s leadership.
The governor accused Atiku of attempting to keep Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.
Wike and other party governors have stated that a single region cannot produce the PDP’s National Chairman and presidential candidate.
In addition, the governor accused Atiku of excluding him from the composition of his presidential campaign council.
In response, Atiku stated that Wike cannot manipulate votes in Rivers State now that electronic voting has been implemented.
Speaking through his campaign council’s spokesperson, Dino Melaye, he said Wike is mistaken in believing he will fail in Rivers State.
He emphasized that the governor has no say over who the people of the state vote for.
“It is very naive of you to believe that because the governor is not supporting your candidate, he will lose the state.”
“Think back to a time when you sat down and wrote a result for a State.” We are no longer living in that era. With the introduction of BVAS and electronic transmission of results, Governor Wike, for example, is no longer the custodian of Rivers votes.
“When it comes to elections, as it is now with electoral reforms, the grassroots matters; the electorate matters; youth and women matter.” That is why Atiku is speaking directly to the electorate’s conscience,” Melaye told reporters