A circulating video on Twitter has claimed that Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the presidential election.
I hope this is doctored. Wike officially decamped to APC. The party he called cancer.
Akuku, Kwankwaso, Tambuwal, Atiku, Okowa, EFCc,Yahaya Bello, Abba Kyari. Arise, Rivers pic.twitter.com/g83U7TbjZg
— Darl. (@Darlington1611) February 24, 2023
If Rivers people make the mistake of letting this man have his way will show how weak the people of Rivers are. As an IJAW MAN, i am mad bcos our so-called leaders keep letting us down. F&#KiNG COWARD
Accord Party • Abba Kyari • Okowa • Yahaya Bello • Desmond Elliot pic.twitter.com/UyrrMY4dNQ
— 9ja ZEUS..🎯 (@kayteeRobby) February 24, 2023
Checks by TheCable revealed that the circulating footage is from an old interview Wike granted virtually on AriseTV on July 1, 2021.
During the interview, Wike responded to the defection of Dave Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State, where he stated that Umahi gave a genuine reason for leaving the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Below is a Youtube link showing the exact part of the interview which has now been doctored to mislead social media users.
This is not the first time the said video will be used to mislead members of the public.
In 2022, when the same video was circulating, Wike dismissed the viral video. Through a tweet from his official Twitter handle, the governor provided clarification on the video.
This interview from 2021 was cut and manipulated to give the false impression that I am leaving @OfficialPDPNig.
Nothing could be further from the truth as i remain a committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party. pic.twitter.com/B8ndzXjk0l
— Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (@GovWike) June 15, 2022
“This interview from 2021 was cut and manipulated to give a false impression that I am leaving @OfficialPDPNig,” he said.
“Nothing could be further from the truth as I remain a committed member of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
VERDICT
The claim that Wike has defected from the PDP to the APC is false.
