Wike taunts Matawalle over his defection, saying, “I will never betray my people.”

The governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has reacted angrily to his counterpart, Bello Matawalle, who has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Wike has stated that, in contrast to Matawalle, he will never betray his people by switching political party affiliation.

During the reopening of Rumuigbo, Chief Johnson Amadi and Igbodo streets in Port Harcourt’s Old Government Residential Area last night, the governor stated that the streets had been reconstructed. Rumuigbo, Chief Johnson Amadi and Igbodo streets were also reopened.

“People must have self-respect in order to be successful. Some things I simply cannot do for the sake of my children, and these are some of them “he explained.

“In 2019, Matawalle declared that he would never leave the PDP. PDP can count on me to never let him down. If I fail to meet PDP’s expectations, I will never be able to find peace in my life. What has happened today, exactly? Is everything a game of politics? This is not correct. It is impossible for everything to be political. In life, your credibility and integrity are extremely important. I will never betray my country or my people.”

Only spineless governors and politicians, according to the governor, will succumb to the threats and blackmail of the ruling APC, forcing them to join the party or face persecution.

It is only governors who are unable to perform who defect to the APC, he claims. They do so primarily to seek protection from a party that is purportedly fighting corruption.

“A governor invited Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari) to flag off a 260-kilometer superhighway, and Mr President (Muhammadu Buhari) has not inquired about the highway,” he claimed.

Read also: Amaechi berates Wike over ‘Buhari will set Nigeria on fire’ statement

Governor Wike explained that his administration had been working diligently since 2015 to transform the landscape of Rivers State and restore the city of Port Harcourt to its former Garden City status.

According to Wike, who was speaking to reporters about the state’s security situation following attacks on security formations, the curfew imposed in the wake of the attacks would only be lifted once he received a security brief from the State Security Council.

The curfew will not be lifted until the security personnel inform me that it is time to lift the curfew. Criminals are the only ones who have complained about the curfew. “I prefer to protect people and property over anything else.”