Kinsmen of Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike, under the auspices of the Akpor Consultative Assembly (ACA) have mounted pressure on him to contest the 2023 presidential election.
ACA is a pressure group comprising political heavyweights from Obio-Akpor, the Local Government Area of Wike.
The kinsmen after extensive deliberation in a meeting attended by many political office holders including the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim, on Saturday resolved to call on Wike to contest the election.
While passing a vote of confidence in Wike, the kinsmen from the 10 clans that make up the Akpor Kingdom urged him to present himself for the office of the President.
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The President-General, of the group, Chief Hanny Woko said it would be a disservice to the people if Wike refused to heed their call.
He said: “We, as a group collectively, after consultation, are calling on the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to present himself to run for the position of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We are compelling him to make himself available because Nigeria needs a man of his status at this perilous time of our history.
“We need sanity in Nigeria. We need a courageous, youthful leader to man that position. In Governor Wike we see every qualification. In him, we see the embodiment of a true patriotic Nigerian.
“We,.therefore, plead with him, urge him and also compel him, because it is a call to service. It will be a disservice to the country if he refuses to present himself for that position because we have looked all around, he is the most qualified for that position”.
Nsirim on his part said the position of the group remained the opinion of all lovers of good governance in the country explaining that said Wike had the qualities to be the President of Nigeria in 2023.
He said: “Look at his antecedents as Chairman of a local government, as Minister of Education and now as Governor. Today, Rivers State remains the centerpiece of development in Nigeria in terms of infrastructural, healthcare delivery, education, agriculture, housing, women empowerment, social welfare and justice system.
“Governor Wike has set models for development in all these areas and that is why he is called Mr. Quality Projects. The numerous awards he has garnered over the years from the media, and nongovernmental organisations speak a lot of the capacity of Governor Wike.
“So, what we are just doing here is to reecho the voice of the majority of Nigerians who have been clamouring for him to throw in his cap into the ring to contest for the President,” he said.
He expressed confidence that Wike would not only win the general election but would also replicate his achievements in Rivers State across the country.
He said: “His achievements are legendary. The works speak for themselves. In any sector of the economy, you see his signature boldly written for posterity. So that is what we want him to replicate in Nigeria, because, we believe Nigeria needs visionary leadership at this point in time,” Nsirim posited.
A member representing Obio/Akpor Constituency 2 in the Rivers State House of Assembly, Michael Chinda said the group endorsed Wike because he had the national character and the qualifications to rescue Nigeria from its present situation.
“We are solidly behind him. For us in Akpor, we are convinced. He has done so much for us. Before now, we hadn’t any roads, today, he has constructed durable roads all over Akpor kingdom. So, the political nucleus of the Akpor people is urging him to come and do the same for Nigeria,” he said.
