Disappointed, Former Minister, Nyesom Wike |
Former Minister of State for Education Chief Nyesom Wike has urged the people of the state to vote out President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, suggesting that he may have fallen out of favour with the administration.
Wike, a governorship aspirant on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, told stunned party faithful penultimate week in Aluu, near Port Harcourt, that the best way to show their anger for the Jonathan-led PDP administration was to vote out it out next year.
“I want to appeal to you from Aluu community, that the only way that you can show that you are angry, the only way that you can show that you are not happy, is to do what Prof Achinuwu said by making sure that you get your voters’ card.
“Don’t insult anybody. Don’t be like a mad man who will go from one radio (station) to another and abuse your mother and your father. The only thing you should do is to keep your voter’s card and come 2015, show your anger that this is your voter’s card and I (sic) must make sure that PDP does not win Rivers State and Nigeria,” Wike charged the stunned party faithful.
Earlier, Prof. Achiniwu, a former Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and Wike’s Ikwerre kinsman, had advised the people to shun election violence. However, reacting to the comments which was caught on audio tape, the minister told Pointblanknews.com that it was politically-motivated to destroy him. The minister did not, however, admit or deny making the controversial slip.
“It is an old story that is everywhere. I don’t care. I know the people behind it. They can do whatever they like, but it is an old story,” Wike told Pointblanknews.com on the telephone. “We are just coming out of the exco (Federal Executive Council meeting),” he added before hanging up.
However, sources close to the minister told Pointblanknews.com that the politician has lately been critical of the Jonathan administration. “Ever since Mr. President failed to openly endorse his candidacy. Wike has been very unstable, making bitter and unguarded comments on the Jonathan administration.
“I am therefore not surprised that Nyesom (Wike) made such reckless statements. Even when we drew his attention to what we thought was a slip of the tongue, he dismissed it. First, he came with scores of thugs to embarrass himself in Legacy House.
“We were there and I don’t think it was a Freudian slip. The fact remains that the Bible says that from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Wike said what he feels about President Jonathan and PDP. Simple,” argued a party official from the state.
Pointblanknews.com gathered that Wike felt betrayed that President Jonathan haven’t given him sufficient support “in exchange for helping to cut Governor Rotimi Amaechi to size.”
In another twist, a former governor of the state, Dr. Peter Odili may be seeking to determine who succeeds Amaechi and launch a comeback as godfather.
Since 2007 when Odili failed to make it to Aso Rock as president or vice president, he has been in hibernation having been rendered politically irrelevant by Governor Amaechi, a man he tried to stop from becoming governor..
According to Pointblanknews.com, Odili may have positioned Nigeria’s ambassador to South Korea, Desmond Akawor, as an alternate candidate a midst growing fears that Wike might not clinch the PDP ticket.
Odili, it was gathered, had sent emissaries to Wike to convince him to support Akawor so the “family doesn't lose out completely.”
According to sources close to the Odili camp, the former governor had reminded Wike’s supporters that “the hand that bears the sword never gets to wear the crown.”
Said the source, “His Excellency is of the view that given Wike’s chain of controversies coupled with his obnoxious character, Akawor was the best man to field. He opines that there was no way Wike’s candidacy would fly in the face of several minuses.”
He added, “Aside being Ikwere, Dr. Odili believes that allowing Wike become governor would be dangerous given the man’s temperament, disposition to violence, and aversion to intellectualism.”
However, the Odili camp is reportedly faced with the challenge that Akawor may be a hard sell in the face of the clamor by the riverine parts of the state to produce the governor after 16 years’ domination by the upland ethnic groups.
“Even though Ambassador Alawor is from Rivers South senatorial zone, he is from Oyigbo which is actually Obigbo. This means he is more Ikwerre or Igbo than Amaechi and Wike.
“There is even this controversy over Akawor’s state of origin. It is said he is Ngwa from Abia State, but for political and economic exigencies claimed Rivers State.
“He has used the Rivers slot to maximum advantage- becoming minister and ambassador. There is nothing wrong with that. But seeking to become governor means Akawor would be stretching his luck too far, and this would surely snap.
“There is definitely no way Akawor would be governor after Odili, Omehia and Amaechi. That is the headache of the Odili camp” submitted the source.
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