The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Friday, opened up on events that led to the emergence of Atiku Abubakar as the Peoples Democratic Presidential candidate during the PDP primaries.
Wike said if not for the love he and others in his camp had for the main opposition party, they could have prevented the PDP convention from holding.
Wike, who revealed this in an ongoing media parley, alleged that the PDP’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, played a vital role that was detrimental to other aspirants in the emergence of Atiku as PDP flagbearer.
The governor alleged that Ayu called several presidential aspirants to step down for the former vice president during the convention.
“He was calling aspirants to withdraw for Atiku. I was there, Saraki and others were there.
“He manipulated the delegates. There was nothing Ayu did not do to ensure Wike didn’t emerge,” Wike said.
The governor added, “Meetings upon meetings were going. Pressures were being mounted on people to step down.
“Even on the night of the convention meetings were going on. That is why we started our convention late.
“Some of the retired generals were involved. Some of the meetings were held in their houses. There is nothing they didn’t do for me to step down.
“Those who know me, know that I would have stopped the convention, even if heaven falls.”
He also revealed that the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, is eying the Secretary to Government of the Federation position should the party win the 2023 presidential election.
“Some people have been given positions as we speak. Ayu wants to become the SFG. These are things happening in the party that we can’t say in public,” Wike said during a media parley in Porth Harcourt on Friday.
This is as the governor boasted that though no one was above the party, those who left the party during the height of its crisis in 2014/2015 cannot suspend him
