Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has declared for the 2023 presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike, according to a statement by his Special Assistant, Media, Kelvin Ebiri, made the declaration in Makurdi, Benue State after a meeting with PDP stakeholders on Sunday.
He stressed that his priority would be to tackle the festering insecurity in the country and engender rule of law.
He said: “Let me thank the people of Benue for receiving me to come and talk to them. It is obvious that I am going to run for the presidency of this country. And I am declaring for the first time in Benue state because of my special relationship with them.
“People are suspecting, but let it be known today that I am announcing it in Benue state because I have a special relationship with this state.”
Wike said he was going to be doing things differently if elected explaining that he would pragmatically tackle the issue of insecurity.
He said service chiefs and heads of other security agencies would be provided the requisite equipment and incentives to discharge their constitutional obligations.
He said the service chiefs would be be given a timeline to tackle the lingering insecurity as his administration would not be disposed to excuses.
He said: “Today, you can’t talk about security in this country and you must understand that without security you can’t talk about governance.
“One first thing that anybody who takes oath of office sworn to is that you must protect life and property. If you can’t protect life and property then you can’t talk about governance. So the major thing is that our people should be alive.”
The Governor, who condemned the terrorists attack at the Kaduna International Airport over the weekend, said Nigerians urgently needed a leader who could address the growing insecurity in the country.
Wike assured that if elected his administration would engender the rule of law to attract more direct foreign investment into the country.
He said: “Disregard for the rule of law by the present federal government has been one of the bane of direct foreign investment in the country.
“Nobody can bring investment in this country because there is no respect for the rule of law . Nobody obeys court order. Who will come and invest his money when court gives its judgement and it will not be obeyed. So, I am going to run for election and victory will be ours.”
Wike accused some presidential aspirants, who had indicated interest for the party’s ticket as being responsible for PDP’S failure in 2015.
“Those who want to be president now were the problems of the party in 2015. They ran away when the party needed them most. But I have stood and worked for this party.
“I have nowhere to run to because I take it personal that the party should not die. And I challenge anyone in a debate what they did for PDP”, he said.
The Governor, while soliciting the support of delegates ahead of the PDP’s presidential primary, said he had all that was required to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC).