Punchng:

Wike denies dropping gov ambition
FORMER Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike,
has denied a media report (not The PUNCH) that he has
backed out of the governorship race in Rivers State.
Wike, an aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic
Party, said on Monday that there was no truth in the report
that he decided to drop his governorship ambition to run for
the Senate.
Calling on Nigerians, especially the people of the state, to
disregard the report, Wike said that the news item was
planted by other governorship aspirants who were afraid of
him.
He said, “These planted false reports on the pages of
newspapers and the electronic media that I have withdrawn
from the race and contesting the senate seat are proofs of my
general acceptance, popularity and the confirmation that I am
primed to win the governorship primary and the general
election in the interest of the people.
“The Rivers people cannot be deceived by lies told by
frightened aspirants who have no connection with the PDP
members, delegates and leaders. They are not in touch with
the Rivers people, hence their resort to falsehood and
untenable stories. The PDP family is united behind me to lead
our party back to the Brick House.
“I have the capacity to face APC and defeat them. The so-
called governorship aspirants are afraid of competition;
hence they are jumping from one office to the other telling
stories.”