Wike slams Rivers elders, denies asking Tinubu to intervene in his face-off with Fubara

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has slammed some elders of Rivers State who went public with their rejection of President Bola Tinubu’s intervention in the raging rift between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Recall that President Tinubu intervened in the political crisis in Rivers state, holding a meeting with Fubara and Wike in the company of some other leaders from the state. This led to the signing of an 8-point peace deal which the Rivers Elders Forum dismissed, describing it as “one-sided” in favour of Mr Wike and a violation of the Nigerian Constitution.

However speaking at a thanksgiving service and marriage anniversary celebration of Des George-Kelly, his ally, who recently resigned as works commissioner in Mr Fubara’s cabinet, Mr Wike warned the people not to “get involved in any fight between two politicians without knowing the root cause.”

Wike who denied asking President Tinubu to intervene in the crisis, lampooned elders of the state who recently attacked the President for wading into the Rivers political crisis. 

He said; 

“Let me tell the church, you know blackmail is the easiest thing. So many of you may believe what is going on; so many of you may also follow on the road without knowing where you are heading. If I were you, (I would) sit down and ask myself: can this be true? But just because we are no longer in power you may want to believe everything they have said. Power and money, if you are not careful, can destroy you. It can also make (you), depending on how you handle it.

“In fact, it was during my time I fought so many states to bring back our oil wells. The money accruing from those oil wells today is not in my pocket but in the interest of the state.

“To show character, when I was here I never went to see the Federal Government, I never. I was the only opposition to the Federal Government. I challenged them. That is how you know people when they say they want to do something and they do it. I’m not a man that you can convince just because of a porridge of yam, no, it is not possible.

“Don’t get involved in any fight between two politicians without knowing the root cause. In any facet of life, there are rules and they must be obeyed. As a pastor, there are rules you must follow. So also, as politicians, we must follow rules.

“While I was governor I followed those rules, and that’s why I was able to succeed. When I was running for governor, I was invited (and told) that some elders wanted to see me. When I got there, I saw only two people; just two of them constituted themselves as elders over the whole state.

“They said the elders of the state had decided that I should not contest the election. I said it must be a joke. Now they’ve come back again as elders.

“Check everyone there, some of them their sons lost the election. Everybody wants to take their pound of flesh. ‘Wike prevented me from this’; ‘Wike made me not to be that’. ‘Wike made me not to be that’. Even those that Wike made have joined them.

“You are the ones who said the President should intervene. Now the President has come to bring peace, you said no, you don’t have the constitutional powers.

“All of us must love this state but don’t listen to propaganda. There is nothing I’m looking for in this state now. I have my own budget as FCT Minister. I have my own commissioners. All I’m saying is if you are a politician play according to the rules.

“All of us in this state, irrespective of where you come from, know this state belongs to all of us. There is nothing like Ijaw, there is nothing like Ikwerre.  All I know is Rivers State.

“If you want to settle us, set out the facts. Don’t just be shouting asawana (a popular solidarity mantra). No, because when we were choosing who would rule, you never shouted ‘asawana’.

“Now they’re carrying flags and shouting asawana up and down. Are you people aware that Mr President actually called us privately and told us what to do? He didn’t do it and now Mr President then said okay, the larger house should come and they’re saying he does not have the constitutional right to do that. I have subjected myself to the peace process.”