2023: Group Calls For Competent Leader As President, Asks Wike To Join Race

A group, Cross River Renaissance Movement, has said Nigeria needs a competent person as president in 2023 and called on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to join the race.

The pressure group which include serving members of the Cross River State House of Assembly, immediate past commissioners, among others, stated this on Tuesday in a communique it issued after the end of its meeting in Calabar.

The communique was read by a leader of the group and former Commissioner for Water Resources, Gabe Odu-Oji. 

It stated, “against the background of the clarion call and passionate expectation of Nigerians for good and enduring leadership; having been dissatisfied with the rudderless leadership provided by the APC in the last six years, resolved amongst other issues, to call on leadership of the PDP to present a man with character and content as flag bearer for the party’s presidential ticket in 2023 in order to further strengthen the faith of the people in the Nigerian polity. Consequently, the group called on the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike to be the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 presidential election.

“The group notes in particular, the sterling leadership qualities and developmental strides of the Rivers State Governor, His Excellency Barrister Nyesom Wike, and after a careful prognosis of the political situation in the country, characterised by high level insecurity across board, rising banditry, the  proliferation of secessionist groups currently threatening the very fabric of our national unity, hereby calls on His Excellency, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, to  declare for the  2023 presidential election in order to salvage Nigeria as clearly demonstrated in his outing as Governor of  Rivers State,” it stated.

The group said Governor Wike is “a nationalist who truly believes in the unity and indissolubility of Nigeria and has clearly demonstrated this in his uncompromising stance against separatist agitations and his liberal posture as demonstrated during the Sokoto inferno.

“It also stated that the ingenuity in social engineering exhibited by Governor Wike in handling the security situation in the Niger-Delta, has brought about lasting peace in the region and considers this trait as  a major panacea required in resolving the current security challenges plaguing the country. 

“At a time truth is lacking in our polity, at a time when the current failed APC government is intimidating every opposing voice in the country through the use of state machineries, HE Nyesom Wike has remained very bold and courageous in confronting issues of national concerns and has  proven to be psychologically, spiritually and politically stable to lead the country.

“He has remained a man of justice, equity and fair play, who  fights for the weak, the poor, the voiceless and protects the interest of the youth and women.

“Nigeria is in dire need of a leader with the needed  competence to drive a clear prosperity agenda  for the people that is hinged on fiscal federalism and return the  country to its days of glory.

“The Renaissance group is therefore extending its net of negotiation, and expresses the willingness to build bridges, leverage on the  network of its  members across all other zones in the country to achieve this lofty agenda,” it stated.

The group said there is no zoning in PDP and so the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 election could emerge from any part of the country.