The former representative of Kogi West Senatorial District, Dino Melaye, has said the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, was not truly interested in the South producing a Southern president after he lost the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Melaye revealed this and other details involving Wike when he appeared on an Arise TV programme on Wednesday.
He said the Rivers State Governor called him 19 times in two hours to lobby the eventual winner of the PDP primaries, Atiku Abubakar.
Melaye told his interviewers: “Nigerians should not be fooled.
“That integrity and equity that he (Wike) is always clamouring, he does not possess one per cent of it.
“He will tell you he wants a southern presidency, that is why he is fighting but that is a bogus lie.
“Wike wanted to be vice-presidential candidate to Atiku.
“He (Wike) called me 19 times in two hours when Atiku was going to mention his vice-presidential candidate, lobbying me with everything possible to influence Atiku to announce him as his running mate.
“I have witnesses.”
Melaye said Wike’s opposition to his governorship ambition in Kogi State was simply because he did not support his bid to become the vice presidential candidate of the PDP for the February 25, 2023 election.
He added: “Wike was my biggest supporter.
“He was my biggest fan to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“He did not just support my primaries, he provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi on the day of the primary election and called me repeatedly thereafter.
“That means Wike saw something in me in 2019 for supporting me.
“He knew I was a gubernatorial material and fit to be governor, hence his investment and support as the case may be.
“So, what now happened between 2019 and 2023 that he is now saying I am not fit to be a governor?
“Somebody you supported materially and otherwise?
“But suddenly because I am not a bootlicker, and the fact that I refused to participate in your very myopic and intellectually stagnant presidential ambition, you now see me as someone that is not fit and start using foul languages on my person.”
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