Di outgoing Govnor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike don say e no regret any action or decision e take in di last eight years of im administration.
Di govnor of di oil rich southern state of Nigeria speak inside exclusive interview with BBC Pidgin just days before e day due to hand over leadership to a new leader for di state on 29 May.
Wike bin dey very vocal and bin make headlines well-well in di course of im time as govnor of di state for di way e handle issues and take on both individuals, for di state level, di federal goment and more recently im party di Peoples Democratic Party, PDP wen e no gree support dia presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar for di 2023 elections.
For di interview wia e tok about im time as govnor, some of di decisions e make and im next plan, Wike say e no regret any action but instead, wish say e for fit achieve more.
“Notin wey I do wey I regret becos before I do sometin I dey tink am over. Notin wey I do wey I dey regret. Di only tin wey I do wey I no finish dat work wey dey pain me na dat tin wey Supreme court dey do wey dem no wan put date for dat VAT mata.
Na di tin wey dey pain me, e dey pain me. Wen me I tink say di court wey be di highest court for di land wen dem see dat kain mata wey be important mata, constitutional mata, wey dey even more serious pass dis electoral tin wey dem dey tok. Wen dem for don give date since, dem just dey do us, di more you look, di less you see, dem no gree touch dat mata.” Wike tok.
Wike bin don accuse di supreme court say dem dey draw leg in hearing di suit ontop di collection of value-added tax, VAT, between im state and di Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS.
I score myself 90%’
Di outgoing govnor also tok about some of di tins wey e set out to achieve for im administration and how e tink say e perform.
“I go say I fulfil more dan 90% of di promises I make to my pipo. Dis state na 23 local goment, no local goment go say dem no see my hand.
For me, wetin sweet me pass be say if you dey go Ogoni land, e get one road wey no politician never use take campaign. Di road na Saakpenwa to Bori to Kono, every time dem go do am for dem. Nobody get mind do am as I come I do am, I dualise am put street light, di road na 36km.
Pipo dey tok say Opobo, since dem born dem dem never go by road before, na through water dem dey pass, as I dey too tok to you now, na me be di first pesin wey don carry road go reach Opobo.” Wike tok.
‘I still be member of PDP…I get hope say Tinubu go do well’
For di 2023 presidential elections, Wike bin keep im cards close to im chest and keep pipo guessing as to wetin e go do wen e begin fight im party for wetin e say na dia failure to keep to di zoning agreement say di presidency must come from di south.
E go on later to support di presidential candidate of di ruling party – di All Progressives Party, APC – to di detriment of im own party di PDP.
Nigeria election joinbodi di Independent Electoral Commission, Inec, later declare Tinubu winner of dat election.
Wike say part of im decision to support Tinubu na sake of say e be southerner and e bin believe say e go win.
“I tok say I dey support southern president, wen time come reach we come look di two southern candidates wey dey run na who for fit win? My Pipo come say make we go dia.” E tok.
As to if e trust say Tinubu go deliver? Wike say e get hope.
“Nobody know who fit do di work, dem no dey write am for head. After all, no be dem tok say make dem bring Buhari say e be saint e go fight corruption, di corruption e don fight am? No be so dem dey look pipo. Dis job no be so.
Di hope I get wia di man dey plenti. Di man get capacity. Di man no go just do like say e be president and e no be president wey go tok one tin and tok anoda wen anoda pesin go meet am, wey dem go dey carry like say na trolley, dis wan dey firm.
So I get hope say Asiwaju Bola Tinubu go do well for Nigeria becos of im track record, if you fit rule Lagos, Rivers, notin go fit stop you.” E tok
Wike also chook mouth ontop speculation say weda e be ‘silent’ member of di APC.
“I no go dey place and dey quiet. If I dey APC you go know, I no dey APC wetin I support na southern president. Me and my friends be di main pipo for PDP, di odas na wayo.” E tok.
‘We no do wuru-wuru for di presidential election’
One BBC investigation bin find evidence wey suggesting say uru-wuru fit don enta some results from Nigeria presidential election.
BBC uncover some tins wey no clear for Rivers state, wey be key battleground, although e no dey enough to change di overall national outcome of di election, wey happun for February.
While di official result for di state give a clear majority to Bola Tinubu of di APC, BBC tally suggest say Peter Obi of di Labour Party, LP bin actually receive most votes for di state by a wide margin.
Wike however respond to dat say di investigation no follow and make pipo leave di tribunal to settle di mata.
“Mata dey for tribunal, make dem leave tribunal make dem know who do wayo, who no do wayo. No be you, di tin wey you see, carri am go court, make you tell dem say dis tin wey dem do here na wayo and court go look am.” Wike tok.
E add say e know say for di state, APC win presidential election, but PDP win di national assembly polls.
‘I dey go rest but…’
So what next for Wike? Wetin we suppose expect from am afta 29 May wen e fully hand over?
“I dey go rest. Pesin wey work for eight years you dey ask am move again? Wia e dey move go? I wan go rest, anytin wey I go do again na God go direct.” E tok
As to if plan dey for appointment for am for federal level, Wike say e never hear anytin like dat.
“Di man never tell me say e wan give me appointment. You no go tok say you dey too big to serve your kontri but di man never tell me one day say look oh e wan give me appointment if e ask me, I go ask my wife, friends, I go ask pipo wetin dem tink about am den I go also see weda I dey prepared.” Wike add.
