Odili supports Fubara’s decision to defy Tinubu – Wike
The former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili, is being accused by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of inciting Governor Siminalayi Fubara to defy President Bola Tinubu.
The peace deal that his camp and Fubara had signed had failed, and he held Odili responsible for it.
At a reception on Friday, Wike addressed guests who had come to meet with representatives from Rivers State.
After an argument, the two erstwhile allies—now enemies—Fubara and Wike have been engaged in a protracted struggle for political control of the state.
The factions supporting Fubara and Wike reached a truce in 2023. At a pivotal meeting in Abuja’s Presidential Villa, Tinubu and other parties, including Odili, brokered an eight-point peace pact.
The peace agreement, however, fell through because Fubara claimed he was coerced into signing it by Wike’s side.
The two-term Rivers State governor Odili accused Wike of being self-serving.
During his speech in Port Harcourt on December 28, he praised Fubara for stopping Wike from making the state his personal estate.
With reassuring fortitude, Governor Fubara confronted the challenge, prevented one man’s quest to capture the state as a private estate, emancipated Rivers people, steadied governance, and made civil servants and Rivers people happier, as it had been until I left office in 2007,” Odili said. It has been over a year since the 25th of October 2023, when an unnecessary but fierce existential fight was waged against him over the soul of Rivers State.
On Friday, though, Wike retaliated against Odili, maintaining that he was still the greatest governor that Nigeria had ever seen.
Making Rivers State the medical centre of South-South Nigeria is something I’m aiming for. What gave me the idea to turn Rivers State into my own estate? “What?,” Wike asked.
“Rivers State has never produced a better governor than myself. What did I need to do to turn Rivers State into my own estate? And no one will even bother to respond to my basic inquiry?
The FCT minister firmly stated that he would not apologise for his statements on Odili when addressing the attendees at the event, which included Senator Adams Oshiomhole and Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo State.
“We have now arrived to present statistics that disprove his claim that someone is converting Rivers State to their personal estate,” Odili stated. As if that weren’t bad enough, you’re now the general overseer and the one turning Rivers State into a personal estate.Everyone warned Tinubu to be careful, but you don’t know Tinubu.
Supposedly, Tinubu contacted Odili, an elder statesman from the Rivers. You are both Tinubu’s and the president’s colleague; after reading the peace deal with them, the president sent you home to digest it.
Typically, Odili should have contacted the president again and explained, “Mr. President, I have tried. We have implemented A, B, C, D, E. It remains F, G, H.” To paraphrase. In order to resolve these F, G, and H, is it possible that we may reconvene? Instead of listening to the president, you pushed Fubara to ignore all of his orders, Wike remarked.
Additionally, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory said that he had intentionally conspired against Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, and Uche Secondus, the party’s previous leader.
“Solus, I did it when I said you wouldn’t be chairman again,” Wike declared. I asked where Atiku was going to make his 2023 debut. Nothing was withheld from me. I am not a second-class citizen, and I informed the PDP that. So, I would not support Atiku. In order for the South to have a president, I have to back them. Despite the fact that I am aware that their offer was fraudulent.
“I ran for the local government election in 1999, and up until today, I have never lost an election. Nobody I have supported has lost, either,” the minister said, further highlighting his impeccable track record of electoral triumphs. Backing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a decision I won’t be sorry for. Be in prayer for our president, wherever you may be. His support will remain unwavering. Things will improve this year. The president is making difficult choices, but they are in the nation’s best interest.
Earlier, Magnus Abe, a former senator from Rivers South-East, accused the lawmakers who were behind Governor Fubara of trying to depose the FCT minister.
Every single voter in Rivers State voted anti-party in the previous election, he assured them. Excuse me, Your Excellency, but I was anti-party. The SDP candidate was not permitted to campaign here by me. I informed him I was with Tinubu when he dropped by my house. Even you, Oga (Wike), were anti-party. There was no mistaking your allegiance to Tinubu over the PDP presidential nominee. The current governor was anti-party as well; he sided with you and rejected the PDP’s presidential nominee.