A human rights organization, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has issued a warning to the River State Governor, Nyesom Wike over his repeated attacks on the former Vice President and Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for 2023 Presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The group cautioned Governor Wike to stop playing God over the presidential candidate. They maintained that only God would choose the next President for Nigerians in 2023 and not people with parochial Interest.
Their caution came as a response to recent statement by Governor Wike that the people of River State should vote for all the candidates of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) except the party Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement signed by CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, the group stated that Governor Wike and his acclaimed team should retrace their step from political dungeon as nobody could stop Alhaji Atiku Abubakar from becoming the President of Nigeria in 2023.
“Governor Nyesom Wike should know that people of River State and good people of Nigeria knew whom they are going to vote for, during the forthcoming 2023 Presidential election without directing by anybody because they are biting harder with the current economic situation imposed by the current administration of ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Nigeria,” the statement reads in part.
According to the group, Wike has not played political maturity since he lost to the PDP Presidential ticket to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the 2022 party’s National Presidential Primary conducted with due process of the law guiding its conduct.
“Governor Nyesom Wike should also learn from former Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose, who was strong antagonist of President Muhammadu Buhari when Fayose was second term in office as Governor of the State. But immediately after Fayose left office, you rarely hear the voice of Mr. Fayose again till this present moment and it shows that political office is temporary by started thinking about the life after political office. Mr. Wike should know that the people of the country, particularly, the people of River State would hardly hear his voice after leaving office in 2023 and which shows that the current action of Wike and his team cannot be sustained beyond May 29,2023. So, Wike should thread softly by retracing his step now.”
However, CHRSJ warned Governor Wike to trend carefully on his approach to Atiku Abubakar candidacy in the 2023 presidential election.
“For us in CHRSJ, we are apolitical but as a responsible citizen by birth as enshrined in the section 25 of the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we can not fold our arms because every human being is a political animal as postulated by the philosopher. This is the reason why we are out to caution Wike to retrace his step on the subject matter,” CHRSJ maintained.
