The Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, has vowed that the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, would not secure up to 10% of the total vote that would be cast for the Presidential election in Rivers State.

Wike also stated that no other candidate of any other party would win the governorship election in the 2027 contest, except the candidate agreed by his Rainbow Coalition.

The former Governor of the state spoke on Saturday at a Luncheon in honour of Candidates of the Rainbow Coalition for the 2027 General elections in the state.

It is worthy of note that the Rainbow Coalition in the state is made up of members from the All Progressives Congress, APC, People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Action Alliance, AA and Labour Party, LP.

Wike asserted that the coalition would choose the next governor of the state among the four candidates from the four political parties, adding that it has not been settled that Ogundu Kingsley Chinda has been anointed to automatically be the governor.

He said that the ADC and the National Democratic Congress, NDC, have not participated in an election before, adding that of Atiku gets up to 11% in the election in Rivers State it means that the coalition did not work hard.

Wike said: “ADC and NDC have not run elections before. They do not understand the election. They only understand defection. This is the time they will see the election practical. They will have the experience and they will see what is in the election starting from Rivers State.

“It is not enough to come on TV to say President we love you. But to show your commitment by how many votes you can deliver to win the election. It is not to go and visit him in Lagos for visits.

“Atiku Abubakar in 2023 never got 10% in Rivers State. It will be very disheartening that he will get 11 percent in Rivers State in the next election.

“If he gets 10% which he did not get in 2023, it means he has gone higher. We will make sure ADC will not have 10% here. A man who is not ready for work, but ready when food is ready, is not available in the state. You must work hard.

“We have won elections in this state when there was intimidation, come to talk of now that there is no intimidation.”

Wike commended the state lawmakers for standing tall against lawlessness in the state, noting that the Speaker of the House, Hon. Martin Amaewhule, and others protected democracy in the state.

He said: “The History of this state cannot be complete, if they don’t include you (Martin Amaewhule) and your colleagues. You stood by truth and you defended democracy. Without you, it would have been difficult for us to be here today.” (Vanguard)

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