Some supporters of Labour Party have expressed their displeasure over the way their party's presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, abandoned the Rivers State governorship candidate of their party to back Sim Fubara of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Speaking with SaharaReporters, sources within the Obi's camp in the state alleged that Peter Obi agreed to support PDP's candidates in Rivers State with the hope that the state governor, Nyesom Wike, would deliver majority votes for him during the presidential poll.
Obi was in Rivers on Thursday to commission an overhead bridge built by Wike's administration.
One of the sources said, "After Wike teased and mocked him, Obi took the microphone and threw Labour Party under the bus after lionising the man that chased him out of the PDP.
"Obi described Sim Fubara the PDP gubernatorial candidate in Rivers State, who is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission as the incoming governor.
"He didn't stop there; he said he will advise his supporters to leave Rivers for Wike because Rivers belongs to Wike and Wike is the oga. Then he begged Wike to give him Rivers’ votes in exchange to achieve his presidential ambition.
“This is selfishness. Obidiency is all about Obi and Obi is a timid man. Obi's true colour has manifested in Port Harcourt. It is a petty, rambling, fawning talk.
"Depicting the emperor as a messiah, Obi said Wike is his example of excellent governance. No principles. Nothing. Obi is selling obidiency cheap," the source added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Obi’s adopting PDP governorship candidate for the state may be one of the conditions for the Wike-led G-5 Governors of the PDP that are having running battle with the national chairman of the party, Senator Iyiochia Ayu, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to deliver his presidential ambition.
The governors had called on Ayu to step down for a southerner based on previous commitment.
With Ayu’s insistence on continuing as Chairman, the governors withdrew their support for the PDP presidential candidate.
Although SaharaReporters could not independently ascertain whether there is any such agreement, it was learnt that Obi even promised to mandate all the Labour party candidates in the state to step down for PDP candidates in other electoral positions.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Peter Obi’s supporters in Rivers State, however, disapproved of his adoption of Wike’s candidate who was allegedly wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.