Kogi State Governorship aspirant, Dino Melaye has reacted to the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike’s comment on his aspirations to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello as the Governor of Kogi State.
In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, the former Senator Melaye stated that the insinuations that presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar is interfering in the preparations of the PDP primaries in Kogi State are false.
“Atiku Abubakar is not interfering at all in the preparations of the PDP primaries in Kogi State and those hired guns who were definitely paid by Wike to address press conferences are just doing that for their pay.
“Yesterday there was a massive rally by thousands of women, market women and youth in Kogi state who came out in their numbers to say that Dino is the only one who can salvage Kogi from the hands of Yahaya Bello and the APC. That was a massive solidarity march yesterday and it was televised. They saw the people there. These are the voters in Kogi State. It is not some selected individuals who have commercialized their consciences that will determine who will beGovernor of Kogi State”.
He also said the press briefing held by Governor Wike is pathetic, stating that he did that with the Rivers State taxpayers money.
Speaking on his relationship with Governor Wike, Dino noted that the Rivers State Governor saw something in him, hence his support to him when he ran for Governorship in 2019.
“When I ran for Governorship in 2019, Governor Wike was my biggest sponsor. He was my biggest supporter to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He supported my primaries. He did not just support my primaries, he also provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi, on the day of my primaries.
He was calling me every minute to find out if we have succeeded.Meaning that Wike saw something in me in 2019 when he supported me. He knew I was a gubernatorial material, that I was fit to be a governor, hence his investment or support as the case may be. So what now happened between 2019 and 2023 is that you are now saying that I am not fit to be a governor. Somebody you have supported materially and otherwise. Suddenly because I refuse to participate in your myopic and intellectually stagnant presidential ambition, you now see me as one not fit for Governorship”.
He also spoke on Governor Wike’s quest to bring presidency to the south as a lie, stating that the Rivers State governor’s plan was to be vice president to Atiku.
“Wike called me called me Nineteen times in two hours when Atiku was going to mention his vice presidential candidate, lobbying me with everything possible to influence Atiku to mention him as the vice president”
Dino concluded by emphasizing that it was Wike’s attitude and character that cost the PDP the presidency.
Chioma Kalu
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