Former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike has subtly justified why governors, national and state assemblies members are defecting from their political parties to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Wike, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, while addressing the media recently said the governors are happy that they have a President who made money available for developments in their respective states.
“Let every state be sincere to their people, and to Nigerians. I was a governor for eight years. I was a governor running around banks to look for money to do projects. Sometimes, every month, the money that comes will not be enough to pay salaries and all other allowances, not to mention doing projects”, Wike noted.
The FCT Minister praised President Tinubu for ending an era when governors were running to banks to beg for loans for developmental projects in their states.
According to Wike “Today, by the leadership of somebody, by the decisive leadership of somebody who has made it possible for all the states, and the Federal Capital Territory, not to be running around banks again. Rather, banks are now looking for states to say, ‘Look, don’t throw us away, we are here.’’
“Somebody has made that possible; every state now has money. Not only to pay salaries, not only to carry out government activities, but also to embark on projects. It was not like that before”.
The former Rivers State governor, in justifying the gale of defections in the country described it as “worthwhile”, opining that with availability of cash, no governor would leave debts for his successors as before.
“So, if, for that reason, so many people are going to support Mr President, I think it is worthwhile. Now, no governor will talk about leaving debts for his successor, unlike what used to happen before. That is the leadership of somebody.
And that’s what this country needs now: Visionary leadership, purposeful leadership that will be able to make decisions. Decisions that people were running away from taking when they had the opportunity.”
Wike, who had sought to rule the country on the platform of the PDP in 2023, lost the presidential primary to a former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Upon his victory, Tinubu who was the APC presidential candidate, appointed Nyesom Wike as the FCT Minister.
