I’ve capacity to influence votes, says Wike

 By Mike Odiegwu

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has boasted that with his performance in office, he can influence votes in the State.

The Governor, while replying to some politicians, who misconstrued his earlier statement that he was in charge of the State, wondered why “misguided elements” were misrepresenting his remarks.

He said: “Because some people went to school late, they don’t understand when somebody says I am in charge of this State. I never said I am in charge of votes in this State.

“But I know I can talk to my people and my people will listen to me. Some people say I have only one vote, I agree. I can’t vote two times. I will only vote once. But because of the services I have rendered to the people of this State, the state will listen to me.”

Wike spoke on Tuesday during the inauguration of the dualized Ogbunuabali -Eastern Bypass Road that was performed by the former Sokoto Governor Senator Aliyu Wamakko on Tuesday. The Governor noted that it was wrong for people to think that leadership was a function of a political party when it was actually about the mindset of the individual.

He said: “Leadership is not about party, leadership is about the individual. Party is only a vehicle to actualize your ambition, to be able to tell your people I have this capacity, I have this quality to render services to you. If take me away today from PDP to another party, I will still perform. So, it is not because I’m in PDP that I’m performing.

“It is because I have that passion for my people. It is because I commit to serving my people. Take me to YPP, allow me to become whatever I will become there, I will perform. Take me to any party, I will perform. So, it is not the party that makes you perform.”

Wike said that his undying love, passion, and commitment to render effective service to the Rivers people had sufficiently differentiated him from other politicians.

“That is why there is a sustained commitment to add value to life, impact change with the infrastructural revolution and make the state better. “While others have used the economic hardship as an excuse not to render leadership and service to their people, I found a more rewarding way to sustain the delivery of projects in Rivers”, he said.

The governor said that he had remained a consistent politician, not playing a double game, and urged Rivers people to be happy that they had a governor, who would always defend the state.

Wike thanked the people of Ogbunuabali for their cooperation while the project lasted despite having initially rejected it.

He used the occasion to lift the ban on youth activities in the Ogbunuabali community and announced the release of N2bn he promised the community.

In inaugurating the Ogbunuabali -Eastern Bypass Road, former Governor of Sokoto State, Wamakko noted with delight the leadership capacity that governor Wike had demonstrated in serving the Rivers people. On his part, Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Dakorinama George-Kelly said the Ogbunuabali -Eastern Bypass Road was a single carriageway of 7.3meters wide but it was totally scarified and completely rebuilt.

He said: “Today, he noted, the 2.19km long road which has been dualized, has 4.38 km width on each side of the lane, 650meters median on the Ogbunuabali axis, 1.5meters median on the Eastern By-pass axis and has 4.38km of drainage length”.