Hours after Governor Nyesom Wike declared him unfit to be governor of Kogi State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye has defended his integrity.
To Melaye, Wike lacks integrity and character. “That integrity and equity that he (Wike) is always clamouring, he does not possess one per cent of it”, the former representative of Kogi West Senatorial District said on Wednesday when he appeared on an Arise TV programme.
He revealed that the Rivers governor was not truly interested in the South producing a president after he (Wike) lost the PDP presidential primaries.
He said Wike called him 19 times in two hours to lobby the eventual winner of the PDP primaries, Atiku Abubakar.
Melaye said: “Nigerians should not be fooled. He will tell you he wants a southern presidency, that is why he is fighting but that is a bogus lie.
“Wike wanted to be vice-presidential candidate to Atiku. He (Wike) called me 19 times in two hours when Atiku was going to mention his vice-presidential candidate, lobbying me with everything possible to influence Atiku to announce him as his running mate. I have witnesses.
“His opposition to my governorship ambition in Kogi State is simply because I did not support his bid to become the vice presidential candidate of PDP for the February 25, 2023 election.
“In 2019, Wike was my biggest supporter. He was my biggest fan to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“He did not just support my primaries, he provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi on the day of the primary election and called me repeatedly thereafter.
“That means Wike saw something in me in 2019 for supporting me. He knew I was a gubernatorial material and fit to be governor, hence his investment and support as the case may be.
“So, what now happened between 2019 and 2023 that he is now saying I am not fit to be a governor? Somebody you supported materially and otherwise?
“But suddenly because I am not a bootlicker, and the fact that I refused to participate in your very myopic and intellectually stagnant presidential ambition, you now see me as someone that is not fit and start using foul languages on my person”.
