GOVERNOR Nyesom Wike has accused his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, as fond of betraying those who help advance his political career.
Wike, at the inauguration of the Community Secondary School, Omuanwa project in Ikwerre Local Government Area, Rivers state, on Monday, said he owes former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole an apology for siding with Obaseki when Oshiomhole rejected him for perceived treachery and ingratitude.
He said Oshiomhole was right then and has been vindicated by recent display of ingratitude by Governor Obaseki to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and to those who had helped him secure his second tenure as Governor of Edo State.
“If you check the DNA of Godwin Obaseki, what you’ll see is serial betrayal and ungratefulness. Let me today apologise to Oshiomhole who has been vindicated by telling us that we will see the true colour, we’ll see the insincerity, we’ll see the ungratefulness of Obaseki.
“Let me apologize to Oshiomhole and to say you have been vindicated. You were right, we were wrong. I’ve never seen people who are so ungrateful in life. I’ve never seen people who can betray everything in life”, Wike said.
He explained that the problem in Edo state stems from Obaseki asking the national leadership of PDP to dissolve Edo PDP executive when the leaders had been elected before he joined the party and had provided formidable structure for him to win the election.
The Rivers Governor wondered why Obaseki is unable to bring everybody together and work with them but instead wants to unleash the illegality of APC in PDP, which is being resisted because ordinarily he is a political tenant in PDP.
“I’ve invested in the party, Rivers state have invested in the party. We have voted for PDP since 1999 till now. Ask Obaseki, has he done anything for PDP? Has he voted for PDP? The only election he voted was his own election when we gave him umbrella. So who has more stake in PDP?
“I have more stake, because I’ve supported PDP always. You’ve never supported 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’re a tenant.”
On Obaseki calling him a bully, Wike responded, “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 said his Edo counterpart’s reference that he is jostling to get the PDP presidential ticket smacks jealousy and bitterness, asserting that if he want to run for President, the likes of Obaseki cannot stop him.
“If I’m contesting for president, with due respect, I’m qualified, very qualified, if not more than qualified. I challenge Obaseki and his cohorts, some of the presidential aspirants who are using him to talk, if I decide to run tomorrow, I challenge anybody, including the so called Obaseki.
” What you will see, you will say you never knew this is what politics is. Tell your presidential aspirants who are sending you, let them pray I don’t come out. If I come out, I will win them.”
On the privilege to govern Rivers, Wike thanked, “Almighty God, who made sure I come from Rivers and I am deploying the resources for the development and betterment of my people. People come and say they can’t recognise Port Harcourt. Let my people go to Benin and say whether they cannot recognise Benin. It has been the same .”
Inaugurating the school project, former Minister of Information, Prof Jerry Gana described Governor Wike as a courageous leader, focused, has capacity, wisdom, integrity, dedicated to service and has become a sterling example of the kind of leadership Nigerians should expect from the PDP in 2023.
