July 29, (THEWILL) – Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has branded Atiku Abubakar a liar, over an interview he granted to Arise TV.
Atiku, during an interview on Arise TV, said he chose Governor Ifeanyi Okowa ahead of Wike because he felt he was better for him.
“Governor Wike was not rejected. Nobody was rejected in the party, but you must understand that it’s the prerogative of the candidate to pick his running mate — a running mate he believes he can work with amicably, and then also deliver the policies of the party, and also try to unify the country.
“Governor Wike is a brilliant politician. He’s courageous, tenacious, I believe he has a future in the political evolution of this country. It’s not a question of rejection.
“Certainly, not. I think it’s too harsh a word to say that we rejected governor Wike”, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had said during the interview.
Wiike in an earlier response, said he would speak about Atiku soon, and that Nigerians need to know the truth about the party.
But on Friday, speaking at the international airport in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, Wike said the PDP presidential candidate lied about how he picked Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State governor, as his running mate.
“He (Atiku) appeared on Arise Television, see the statement he made. So many lies were told and you said I should not react to some of those issues. That would not be fair.
“Atiku Abubakar told so many lies on Arise Television that I can’t leave unchallenged. I will react to those lies made by him and his attack dogs line by line, at the end Nigeria will know who love this country and who does not”, he said.
He said that the former Vice president was yet to begin a reconciliation move, despite claims on pages of newspapers that a committee had been set up to meet with him.
“In this part of our world, when lies are being concocted and you allow it, it becomes the truth.
“After the PDP presidential primary, I decided to remain quiet, go back home and fulfil the remaining promises I made to Rivers state people, but there comes a time when the truth has to be told.
“No right thinking person or lover of this party will say that the speech Atiku Abubakar made during the unveiling of his VP candidate was fair. Atiku went ahead to tell so many lies during his interview on Arise TV.
“I was in Spain when Bukola Saraki called me and asked that we resolve all issues and when I told him all that transpired, Saraki confessed that he honestly did not know the depth of the issue and didn’t know it was that serious”, he said.
The Rivers governor, however, added that, “We have lined up projects for commissioning from first week of August. After the commissioning, I will reveal all that transpired to Nigerians. What they choose to do with the truth is up to them, but I will speak the truth.”
Wike has promised to expose those he called “attack dogs” after commissioning his projects in Port Harcourt.
