Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, is not desperate to contest the Presidency in the 2023 general elections, his Media campaign organisation has said.
Wike Media Office (WMO), in a statement made available to First News on Saturday, stated this against the backdrop of verbal attacks and virulent criticisms against the Rivers governor since he declared his aspiration to go for the highest political office in Nigeria.
According to the WMO’s statement, hirelings of Wike’s opponents have been concocting and publishing false stories in the media to portray the Rivers governor as being disrespectful to other presidential aspirants and desperate for power in 2023.
The statement partly reads: “We, at the Wike Media Office-WMO- are alarmed by the deliberate campaign of calumny and pull-him-down syndrome presently being deployed by those who cannot stand Governor Wike’s growing popularity across the country and trying effortlessly to demean his person and character.
“The fact must be stated that Governor Wike is bold, courageous and has guts to speak truth to power. His friends and colleagues appreciate his sense of camaraderie and ability to speak his mind, no matter whose ox is gored. Anybody who is aspiring to lead Nigeria must shy away from hypocrisy and cronyism, and be bold to speak truth to power to sustain a leadership that can fit into the expectations of Nigerians in a 21st century world.
“It is understandable that those who are purveyors of lies and pretenders to the throne will not like Governor Wike’s assertive and firm leadership style, especially in a country where lies, half-truths and propaganda have been elevated to an unimaginable level, but the truth must find Governor Wike at all times no matter how bitter. If that is what they quarrel about, too bad. Governor Wike is not ready to bow out from the sacred confines of honesty of purpose, truth and transparency. It is a leadership credential that cannot be faulted except by those whose pre-occupation rests on dubiety of intentions. Governor Wike has built network of friends across the socio-political divides, contributed to disaster management across the country, sustained a culture of leadership responsibility across board and ready to take up the gauntlet in charting a roadmap for a more robust appreciation of our enormous challenges. His colleague Governors understand his style and are at home with his simplicity, openness of mind and spirit of association which has promoted unity of purpose within the Governors Forum.”
It further noted that with the current situation in the country, Nigeria required a kind of leader like Wike to return it to a path of sanity, peace and progress.
The WMO added, “Given our present ugly realities in Nigeria coupled with leadership failure that has atrophied development and growth of a nation of greater opportunities, we need an interventionist leader to urgently arrest the drift to save the country from further implosion. The country is heavily polarised with copious faultiness and cracks, deepening schism, impoverishment, hunger, poverty and starvation. The country is visibly challenged at the leadership level, exposing the weaknesses of our collegiate solidarity and national harmony. At such a time, we need a therapeutic leader who can heal the wounds in the land. We need a man in the orientation of Governor Wike, with the right frame of mind, comportment, sagacity, diligence and nationalism to step into the fray and create the right impetus for a holistic response to all our challenges.
“Rather than some aspirants trying to undermine his legitimate aspiration because they are afraid of his growing popularity, they should rather embrace and join him in his onerous task of rebuilding a country that has been grounded by sheer lack of courage, grit, guts, reason, character and boldness which a Governor Wike possesses in excess.”
The media office therefore assured that Wike would not be deterred by the antics of those opposed to his Presidential ambition.
The WMO further stated, “Governor Wike’s presidential aspiration has come to stay. He is more than ever before committed to traversing the length and breath of Nigeria to stimulate the right appeal as the day of the party’s primary election draws near.
“No amount of subterfuge, lethargic accusations, sponsored attacks and deliberate concoction of falsehood will stop an idea whose time has come.
“The PDP as an organic party with clearly defined rules of engagement will do well to have a man who has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the party since inception in 1998 without defection. This is an unassailable truth that cannot be controverted by revisionists and hirelings.”
The full text of the WMO statement reads:
PRESS RELEASE
WIKE IS NEVER DESPERATE TO RULE
In recent time, since His Excellency Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike ( N.E.W) declared his intention to run for the president of the Federal Republic, some aspirants have deliberately tried to rake up mud against his person, using fifth columnists and hirelings to concoct stories that cannot be founded.
They accused the Governor of being “disrespectful” to other aspirants, accused him of being “desperate” for power, even when they failed to state the locus.
We, at the Wike Media Office-WMO- are alarmed by the deliberate campaign of calumny and pull-him-down syndrome presently being deployed by those who cannot stand Governor Wike’s growing popularity across the country and trying effortlessly to demean his person and character.
The fact must be stated that Governor Wike is bold, courageous and has guts to speak truth to power. His friends and colleagues appreciate his sense of camaraderie and ability to speak his mind, no matter whose ox is gored. Anybody who is aspiring to lead Nigeria must shy away from hypocrisy and cronyism, and be bold to speak truth to power to sustain a leadership that can fit into the expectations of Nigerians in a 21st century world.
It is understandable that those who are purveyors of lies and pretenders to the throne will not like Governor Wike’s assertive and firm leadership style, especially in a country where lies, half-truths and propaganda have been elevated to an unimaginable level, but the truth must find Governor Wike at all times no matter how bitter. If that is what they quarrel about, too bad. Governor Wike is not ready to bow out from the sacred confines of honesty of purpose, truth and transparency. It is a leadership credential that cannot be faulted except by those whose pre-occupation rests on dubiety of intentions. Governor Wike has built network of friends across the socio-political divides, contributed to disaster management across the country, sustained a culture of leadership responsibility across board and ready to take up the gauntlet in charting a roadmap for a more robust appreciation of our enormous challenges. His colleague Governors understand his style and are at home with his simplicity, openness of mind and spirit of association which has promoted unity of purpose within the Governors Forum.
Given our present ugly realities in Nigeria coupled with leadership failure that has atrophied development and growth of a nation of greater opportunities, we need an interventionist leader to urgently arrest the drift to save the country from further implosion. The country is heavily polarised with copious faultiness and cracks, deepening schism, impoverishment, hunger, poverty and starvation. The country is visibly challenged at the leadership level, exposing the weaknesses of our collegiate solidarity and national harmony. At such a time, we need a therapeutic leader who can heal the wounds in the land. We need a man in the orientation of Governor Wike, with the right frame of mind, comportment, sagacity, diligence and nationalism to step into the fray and create the right impetus for a holistic response to all our challenges.
Rather than some aspirants trying to undermine his legitimate aspiration because they are afraid of his growing popularity, they should rather embrace and join him in his onerous task of rebuilding a country that has been grounded by sheer lack of courage, grit, guts, reason, character and boldness which a Governor Wike possesses in excess.
Governor Wike’s presidential aspiration has come to stay. He is more than ever before committed to traversing the length and breath of Nigeria to stimulate the right appeal as the day of the party’s primary election draws near. No amount of subterfuge, lethargic accusations, sponsored attacks and deliberate concoction of falsehood will stop an idea whose time has come. The PDP as an organic party with clearly defined rules of engagement will do well to have a man who has contributed immensely to the growth and development of the party since inception in 1998 without defection. This is an unassailable truth that cannot be controverted by revisionists and hirelings.
WIKE MEDIA OFFICE.
ABUJA.
Saturday, April 9, 2022.
