I’ll resign if anyone proves I anointed him as successor – Wike

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, on Tuesday vowed to resign from office if anyone could prove he promised to make him his successor.

Wike stated this at a state banquet dinner held to celebrate the conferment of a distinguished award on him by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The governor said it was not in his character to make a promise to help anyone and renege on it.

There were insinuations in the state early this year that Wike had anointed the state’s former Account-General, Siminalaye Fubara, who won the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state, as his successor next year.

He said: “God gives power. I challenge whoever will say he sat with me and I made a promise to him or her that the way things are going; he or she will be the next governor.

“If anybody can come out and challenge me, I will resign as governor of Rivers State.”

He also dedicated the award to God and the people of Rivers State.

He thanked the state legislature and the judiciary for working in synergy with the executive in the interest of the state.

READ ALSO: Group tackles Wike over claim on PDP campaign council members in Rivers

The governor commended all service chiefs, the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for their steadfastness in ensuring that Rivers remains one of the safest states in the country.

Wike authorised the state’s Accountant-General to pay N60 billion to contractors working on various projects in the 23 local government areas of the state to enable them to conclude projects speedily.

In his remarks, the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Petet Odili, said the award bestowed on Governor Wike by President Buhari was the best honour Rivers had received since its creation on May 27, 1967.

He said: “For Mr. President, from a different political party to confer that honour on a governor of an opposition party is not an easy business.

“It is unique; it is historic. May God bless you for bringing that honour to the state.”

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