Politics
Wike, Obaseki continue verbal war, govs allege betrayal, unguarded comments
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has described his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, as a politician who is given to serial betrayal of those who helped to advance his political aspiration.
Wike spoke at the inauguration of Community Secondary School, Omuanwa, in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state on Monday.
He said he owed a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, an apology for opposing him when he insisted that Obaseki was a treacherous and ungrateful man.
This was contained in a press statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri.
Wike said Oshiomhole was right then and has been vindicated given Obaseki’s recent display of ingratitude to the Peoples Democratic Party and to those who helped him to secure his second term.
He said, “If you go and check the DNA of Godwin Obaseki, what you will see in that DNA is serial betrayal and ungratefulness. Let me stand today to apologise to Adams Oshiomhole who has been vindicated by telling us that we will see the true colour, the insincerity and the ungratefulness of Godwin Obaseki.
“So, let me apologise to Adams Oshiomhole and to say you have been vindicated. You were right, we were wrong. I have never seen people who are so ungrateful in life. I have never seen people who can betray everything in life.”
Wike claimed that Obaseki was never his match where character matters because he is consistent, sincere and a forthright team player, who has never betrayed any person who helped him politically.
He explained that the problem in Edo State stemmed from Obaseki asking the national leadership of the PDP to dissolve Edo PDP executive when the leaders had been elected before he joined the party and provided formidable structure for him to win the election.
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He added, “I have invested in the party, Rivers State has invested in the party. We have voted for the PDP since 1999 till now. Ask Governor Obaseki, has he done anything for the PDP?
“Has he voted for the PDP? The only election he voted was his own election when we gave him umbrella. So who has more stakes in the PDP? I have more stakes because I have supported the PDP always.
“You have never supported the PDP, rather it was when your godfather chased you away and you came begging, kneeling down. People came with pressure and we allowed you. Ordinarily, you are a tenant.”
He said it was unfortunate that Obaseki could describe him as a bully now that he is being called to order.
“You came to beg a bully for you to have a ticket. A bully was your DG campaign and a bully bullied you into Government House. What a shame. It did not only end there.
“You came with your wife to thank the bully that after God, the bully made it possible for you to be there,” Wike added.
Obaseki had described the personal attacks by Wike against his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, as “most unfortunate and totally uncalled for.”
In a statement, the governor called on the leaders of the PDP to call Wike to order, noting that the issues raised by his deputy were germane and needed to be resolved in the interest of the party.
He said, “The recent personal attacks by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, against my Deputy Governor, Rt Philip Shaibu is, to say the least, most unfortunate and totally uncalled for.
“If Governor Wike was one who is wont to show respect and courtesy to his colleague-governors, he would have ordinarily reached out to me to express his concerns about the views made by my deputy governor, rather than embarking on this unwarranted public onslaught.
“My deputy governor was a former National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students and his comment is representative of the essence of the nation’s youth population, who are inclined to openly speak up and question the status quo.”
“If Governor Wike cannot understand and adequately respond to the style and character of the Nigerian youth, how can he aspire to lead them?”
PUNCH
Politics
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff (CoS) to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed speculations about his potential bid for the governorship of Lagos State, stressing that his current focus remains on his duties in the presidency.
Speaking at the general assembly of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Surulere, Lagos, on Saturday, Gbajabiamila attributed the rumours to detractors attempting to undermine his political progress.
“Some people are saying he came back from America about 20 years ago. After spending three to four years, he became the principal officer to the Minority Whip, from there he became Minority Leader, then Majority Leader, and from Majority Leader, he became Speaker,” Gbajabiamila said.
He noted that some individuals see his rise in politics as a threat and believe he might return to Lagos to contest for governor.
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“They think with the way I’m progressing, it’s time to quickly drag me down so I won’t have any standing in Lagos,” he stated.
However, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives made it clear that the governorship race is not on his agenda for now.
“Please tell them it’s not yet time for governorship. There are still two and a half years left—it’s still far. God Almighty knows who will become the next governor,” Gbajabiamila noted.
Addressing the challenges of his current position, he added, “My current job as Chief of Staff is so demanding that I can’t even finish it. I don’t have the time to be thinking about governorship.”
The remarks come amid growing speculation surrounding potential contenders for the Lagos governorship seat, with names like Lagos State Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son, also being mentioned.
Gbajabiamila speaks on his rumoured Lagos governorship ambition
Politics
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has shed light on his role in the removal of Uche Secondus as the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking at a PDP gathering in Rivers State, Wike explained that his decision was fueled by Secondus’ opposition to Siminalayi Fubara’s governorship ambition in 2023.
According to Wike, Secondus had pushed for his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to secure the PDP ticket for the governorship position, a move Wike said he could not support. This, he revealed, was the primary reason he championed Secondus’ ouster from the party’s leadership.
Reflecting on the ongoing tensions between himself and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, Wike accused Secondus and former Rivers Governor Celestine Omehia of hypocrisy. He alleged that the duo only began backing Fubara after benefiting personally from the relationship.
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Wike, who was once a close ally of Fubara, claimed that Secondus and Omehia were the true enemies of the governor, not him. He criticized their actions, arguing that their newfound loyalty to Fubara was insincere.
“I heard Secondus recently in Bori, saying I awarded the Bori Internal Road as governor. I paid 50% with the hope that we had a governor we all supported to continue the projects,” Wike said.
He continued, “Secondus claimed his enemies are the governor’s enemies. But who are the enemies of the governor? Secondus, who initially opposed him becoming governor and wanted his cousin, Tele Ikuru, to get the position?
“I orchestrated Secondus’ removal as PDP National Chairman when he tried to impose his cousin as governor. Now he calls himself the governor’s friend while labeling me the enemy. To God be the glory,” Wike declared.
Wike: My fallout with Secondus was his opposition to Fubara
Politics
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano state has dismissed claims by former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso that the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will significantly reduce APC’s votes in Kano State during the 2027 elections.
Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Abdullahi Abass, chairman of the state chapter of the party said Kwankwaso’s assertion is laughable and nothing but a mere daydream. Abass called on Kwankwaso to focus on reclaiming his membership in the NNPP rather than making unfounded claims.
The APC described Kwankwaso as a political refugee clinging to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in a futile attempt to regain relevance. They warned Kwankwaso that the APC would not allow a repeat of the alleged vote manipulation and allocation that created the impression of NNPP’s influence in Kano State during the 2023 general election.
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“Our teeming supporters in the APC have no cause to worry about Kwankwaso, who has been booted out of the NNPP due to his cluelessness and self-centredness. We expect Kwankwaso to keep wondering why he has become a wanderer in the political terrain,” the party chair said.
“He ran away from APC because he couldn’t fit into our progressive ideals. His overbloated ego and domineering posture forced him to abandon the PDP, and he has now become a political refugee because the NNPP refused to accommodate him.”
Kwankwaso had on Wednesday received some political decampees at his residence. During the event, he claimed that the NNPP was now formidable enough to diminish APC’s influence in the state.
“If the PDP could struggle to receive 15, 000 votes in the 2023 Presidential elections in Kano, APC would not only receive below expectations but would receive the most embarrassing votes in the 2027 elections in Kano,” he stated
“NNPP achieved tremendous success in the presidential and governorship elections despite being a new political platform with a late start to its campaign. APC will be diminished in Kano in 2027,” he added.
APC reacts to Kwankwaso’s statement to reduce party’s votes in 2027
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