The Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has on Monday lambasted the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over his anti-Igbo and anti-Yoruba rhetoric, saying that his party should apologise to Nigerians for such divisive and controversial remarks.
Alhaji Abubakar, while speaking at the Arewa town hall policy dialogue in Kaduna held on Sunday, October 16, had declared, amongst other things that what the average northerner needs is somebody who is from the North and does not need a Yoruba candidate or an lgbo candidate.
He said: “I know the whole of this country. I have built bridges across this country.
“I think what the average northerner needs is somebody who is from the north, who also understands the other parts of Nigeria, and who has been able to build bridges across the rest of the country.
“This is what the northerner needs. He (the northerner) doesn’t need a Yoruba candidate or an Igbo candidate.
“This is what the northerner needs. I stand before you as a pan-Nigerian of northern origin”.
Watch video below:
Northerners don't need an Igbo or Yoruba president. What Northerners need is a president who is from the North ~~ Atiku Abubakar today in Kaduna.
There goes their so-called UNIFIER. Who is still in doubt should be clear of his or her doubt by now. pic.twitter.com/v8ZtcBOqMt
— Jasper Okoro 💙 (@JasperJay120) October 16, 2022
Reacting to the comment while speaking in Port Harcourt shortly after arriving from Spain, Wike noted that while he doubted the possibility of Atiku making such a statement at a critical time of the nation’s history, such disposition of the presidential candidate would justify his fight for equity, justice and fairness in the PDP.
He, therefore, admonished the party to, as a matther of urgentcy, address the issue and apologise to Nigerians.
Failure to do that, he noted, people would begin to see the party as one that lacked justice and equity. Read more.