With the 2023 general elections in sight, the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at a former governor of Niger state, Aliyu Babangida, who accused him of destroying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to POLITICS NIGERIA, Babangida is one of the backers of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the PDP national chairman who Wike is asking to resign, capitalising on his earlier promise.
Babangida had insinuated that Wike lacks the capacity, character and temperament of a true leader. Now, the Rivers governor has replied him.
“Nigerians may forget, but such an empty barrel; one man they call Aliyu Babangida, he came out on national television to say somebody (referring to himself) is destroying the party because he didn’t win the presidential primary. That’s an insult,” Wike said on Thursday during the inauguration of the Ahoada campus of the Rivers state university.
“This is the same man who came out on television and said that they, governors from the north, agreed to fail President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 because they felt it was the turn for the north. The same man said they agreed to make sure PDP lost the election because they felt it was their own turn to produce the president.
“He said that I’m trying to destroy the party because I didn’t win the primary.
“For Christ’s sake, in a contest there must be a winner, there must be a loser. I have no regrets.
“We contested the election very well and we are not ashamed.
“If Aliyu knew he was important and strong he would have picked form, let us deal with him.”
