Rivers state governor and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nyesom Wike, says he will not accept the position of vice president in the 2023 elections.
“I’m not coming out to negotiate to be vice to anyone, I’m coming out to contest for the number one position in the country,” Mr Wike, Rivers State governor, told the leaders of the PDP on Thursday in Benin, Edo State.
He was in Benin to seek the support of the party leaders and delegates in Edo State.
Wike lamented the state of insecurity in the country. He said there was a need for Nigeria to spend big on intelligence-gathering to curb insecurity.
He said one of the factors causing persistent insecurity in the country was the “inability of the Federal Government to spend enough money on intelligence gathering to stop insecurity”.
The governor said the ability of a president to secure the country and protect lives and properties should be a paramount criterion to measure success.
“It takes a committed leadership to ensure adequate security in the country,” he said.
Mr Wike said his “antecedents and achievements” as a past chairman of a local council, federal minister, and as a governor “were visible for everyone to see”.
He said he was sure PDP would win the 2023 presidential election if he is given the party ticket.
“We must have a candidate who listens to the grassroots. I have the capacity to face the All Progressives Congress in 2023.
“Give me the ticket and have your confidence that we will take over power in May 2023. Don’t allow anybody to disabuse your mind from voting for Wike.
“We cannot continue to give excuses why we are losing elections.”
Mr Wike said there was a need to remove a “disconnect” between government and party.
The government, he said, cannot do anything without carrying the party along.
“Leadership should not be a cabal thing,” he said.
Governor Wike earlier visited the palace of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.
He told the king he would check insecurity if elected president.
“The way our country has fared, Nigeria needs somebody that will see white and say it is white and see black and say it is black.
“If the PDP gives me the ticket, I have enough experience to tackle Nigeria’s plethora of problems, having been a local government chairman, minister of state over-seeing education and now governor.”