January 05, (THEWILL) – On Friday, FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike continued hosted a Rivers State Stakeholders meeting in Port Harcourt and used the occasion to continue his months-long rivalry with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, ex-Governor Peter Odili, former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Senator Lee Maeba.
“When I became Obio-Akpor Local Government Chairman in 1999, AND Sergeant Awuse and Governor Peter Odili were contesting for governor, I was not in any of their camps but I won. I do not say you cannot get support from others to win, but I was not in any of their camps. But now, you get somebody, buy a form for him, submit it and say go you will win, yet he says he knows better.” He said, among others, in a shot at both Odili and Governor Fubara at the occasion which was attended by both political associates from within and without the state.
A day before, a group named Concerned Elders of Rivers State had issues a statement in which expressed a “deep sense of responsibility and a commitment to uphold the values of respect, unity and decorum that have long been the foundation of our society,” and faulted Wike’s remarks at an event in a Church Oroigwe against Odili, ex- Celestine Omehia, Secondus and the King of Eberi Omuma Barr Onyekachi Amaonwu JP.
As the year rolled to a close in River State, echoes of the rivalry between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, reverberated at the weekend as a reminder that there is still an unfinished business on the state’s political terrain.
Former National Chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Uche Secondus and ex-governor of the state, Celestine Omehia and Wike were directly in the ring this time, though the jab was directed at Governor Fubara.
Firing the first salvo, Secondus, who was a guest of Governor Fubara during the inauguration of a road project, told the governor he would triumph over his political enemies, whom he named in descriptive terms.
He said, “Be strong and be courageous because you will overcome your enemies. Those who are shouting in Abuja, how were they made? It is God and some of us and the leaders seated here today that made it possible. Your Excellency, don’t worry, power comes from God. The same way God gave it to them through us, God has given it to you. From what we have seen, you will excel because you love and respect the people, leaders and elders of the state.”
Ex-Governor Omehia added that Wike had never done something concrete and lasting to Rivers State, leaving unfinished projects to Governor Fubara to execute and which the latter is executing to the admiration of the citizenry.
Infuriated by these attacks, Wike took an occasion in the state to reply to both Secondus and Omehia. The occasion was the Ochigba, Ahoada East and Ahoada West PDP End of Year Thanksgiving event held in Rivers State. The FCT Minister described Secondus and Omehia as the real enemies of Governor Fubara.
The thanksgiving was held by Chibudum Nwuche, politician in the state and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Wike commended the Rivers APC Chairman for resolving not to play politics of bitterness but rather embracing inclusivity.
The minister said he was proud that his wife hailed from the Ekpeye kingdom.
“Today your daughter is a Justice of the Court of Appeal,” he remarked.
Nwuche who had thanked President Bola Tinubu for appointing Wike as the FCT Minister stated that, “Today is thanksgiving for the PDP in Ahoada East and Ahoada West, products of the tribes of Ekpeye and Engine. We chose today to give gratitude to God. Like the preacher said, as it is in the Bible, those who give gratitude can ask for more from God. Those that don’t, will have their journeys cut short.”
He said though the PDP loyalists toiled to be in government, they had been pushed aside, saying that “time is ticking and very soon we shall reclaim our state.” This may have triggered the FCT Minister, who after thanking his host for the event, launched his tirade of attack against Secondus and Omehia.
Delving into the recent political past, Wike disclosed that the ex- PDP National Chairman, Secondus opposed the choice of Fubara as Rivers governor in 2023, preferring his cousin, Tele Ikuru as his preferred party’s candidate to become Rivers governor. Wike said it was this intrigue that he plotted the removal of Secondus as the PDP National Chairman.
“I kicked out Secondus as PDP National Chairman when he wanted to make his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to be governor. Today, he is saying now that we are enemies. Secondus was the one who refused the man (Fubara) to be governor; he wanted his cousin to be governor. He has now become the governor’s friend and we have now become the enemies. To God be the glory,” said Wike, adding, “I heard Secondus say the other day in Bori that I awarded the Bori Internal Road as governor. Secondus was saying that his enemies; who are the enemies of the governor? Secondus refused him to be governor.”
He denied abandoning projects for Fubara to finish and explained that he paid 50 per cent in the hope that “we have a governor that we all agreed to continue,”
On ex-Governor Omehia, Wike described the former Governor as an underperformer.
Wike had in October 2022 signed an instrument that derecognised Omehia as former governor of the state and in March 2024, Rivers State High Court ruled that Omehia was not a former governor of the state and as such was not entitled to pensions. But Governor Fubara has since overturned that decision and restored the former governor status to Omehia.
Wike noted, “I overheard one imbecile and let him challenge me, an imbecile Celestine Omehia. I say so and that is why when he wanted to occupy the Government House, I kicked him out. We could not have an imbecile as governor. He said they should ask me what I have done for Rivers State. That is why I say he is an imbecile. If he understands that, I am not a minister of a ministry!
“I am the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. When I was Minister of Education, he would have challenged me and asked ‘What did you bring to Rivers State?’ I was Minister of Education, I brought the Faculty of Law to the University of Port Harcourt. I gave grants to Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic; I gave grants to Ignatius Ajuru University. I made sure to renovate the Federal Government College Port Harcourt and the Federal Government Girls College, Abuloma. That was what I thought.” Wike stated.
He said though as the FCT Minister now, he cannot bring road projects or FCT money to Rivers State, “I can help Rivers people. And I have been helping Rivers people.”
He also boasted that “by the instrumentality of Mr President, there is no governor in this state that has attracted political appointments to this state other than myself. Go and count it.”
“By the instrumentality of Mr President; by his grace, by his love for us, he said, ‘Go and give me these names for political appointments’. So, Mr Omehia, are you not aware that Rivers people have more political appointments than even when you are serving somebody. Ex- Governor Peter Odili has waded into the new development by describing Fubara as courageous in stopping the usurpation of the state treasury by Wike. Speaking at a Christmas party he organized for the governor, Osula said, “Governor Fubara summoned an unusual fortitude to confront the quest by Wike to capture Rivers State through ferocious, but unnecessary political war.
As a family, my wife, children and I, decided to host the Rivers State Governor and his family to a night of varieties of sing-song and other activities in appreciation of the fortitude and sterling leadership qualities he has demonstrated.
“It is now over 12 months, since the 25th of October, 2023, when a fierce existential fight, though unnecessary, was waged against Governor Fubara over the soul of Rivers State.
“Governor Fubara confronted the challenge, prevented the quest by one man to capture the state as a private estate, emancipated Rivers people, steadied governance and made civil servants and Rivers people happier as it used to be until I left office in 2007”, Odili said. In his response, Fubara said that God has proved Himself worthy as the Ultimate Liberator of the State and its people because He ensured total triumph over the political crisis and those behind it.
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