Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has said that he would fully support President Bola Tinubu for reelection in 2027.
Wike said this at a new year luncheon he hosted on Sunday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The Minister praised President Tinubu, saying that he has shown that he is a leader with capacity to fix Nigeria.
Wike also appreciated the president, thanking him for the opportunity to serve as the Minister of the FCT.
Speaking on peace agreement brokered by President Tinubu in Rivers, Wike charged all stakeholders to implement the resolutions without conditions.
He praised the Rivers Assembly lawmakers for their swift implementation of their own side of the resolutions.
The Minister said “I want to make one confession to you. I work with Mr. President and there no way I can disobey Mr. President. It is not possible. The mere fact Mr. President calls you and said look allow peace here, there is no way I can disobey Mr. President.
“I may not be happy in all resolutions but if Mr. President calls for peace, who are you to say you don’t want peace? I will not attach any condition to what Mr. President wants from me. I will not do it.
“So, I must obey Mr. President. I must do everything humanly possible to see that the peace arrangement is achieved in Rivers. That is what is required and I am going to do that”.
Speaking further, Wike stated that if he had wanted his Ikwerre ethnic nationality to still produce his successor, nobody would have stopped him but that he decided to overlook such interest for the unity and progress of Rivers.
The Minister recalled that he had to ask close friends like a former PDP Chairman in Rivers, Felix Obuah to drop his guber ambition to pave way for Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
He said: “Felix Obuah was in my team as chairman of the party. My predecessor seized Obua’s property, everything he owned, land, schools and hotels. The wife cried to him but he told his wife, ‘don’t worry if it is the will of God there is nothing you can do. He stood firm. They took everything he had.
“He was one of the frontrunners in 2023 governorship election. I told him in my house to step down that he won’t run. He looked at me but I say you won’t run. He said if that was what I am saying that he won’t run. But I say you will be DG, go and campaign for that election.
“I say you must be DG and he said if that is what you want I will go and do it. And he did it. I see all kinds of things going on. They are talking evil about him. But he is here and he will still be here.
“Those, who open their mouth to talk, don’t know anything. I was the one who paid for the forms for anybody, who wanted to run for elections as governor, House of Assembly and National Assembly. Let one person raise his hand and said he bought forms.
“We say we are all family members no need for acrimony. Don’t spend your money we will agree on who will run. The day we took the final decision, the Chairman of elders council nearly collapsed. He is here. OCJ was there, Awuse was there. Omehia was there.
“He nearly collapsed. Why? He wanted a governor from the riverine area. When I looked at him, I say why would I allow this old man to just die. I say let’s not create the impression that there are people who want to monopolise power.
“Let’s allow everybody to be part of it because we belong to one Rivers State. If I had wanted, nobody would have stopped me. Nobody had what it takes to even near me.
“And to God be the glory, I don’t regret what I did and I will never regret what I did because I want the unity of this state for us to forge ahead. If I wanted Ikwerre man, nobody would have stopped me.
“The politics we play in this state is the politics of unity of Rivers State, not party. When I visited Victor Giadom, I went with all PDP leaders. Today he is here with all APC leaders. Membership of party is not on radio or television. So all of us must make Rivers State to move forward.
“Let’s move forward for the interest of the state. That is important. I took the decision and you listened to me I want you to also listen to me now. Let’s accept what Mr. President has said. It is for the interest of Rivers and for Nigeria in general.
“It may not be the best but there is no option. Mr. President took a lot of risk to give me Minister of FCT. People protested but he stood firm. If he could do that, you too should accept his decision.
“When we came back from Abuja, within the next 48 hours, the speaker and his people took the decision to obey Mr. President without attaching any condition. I thank Mr. Speaker and other members for respecting Mr. President.
“Whether you are APC or PDP or you don’t belong to any of the parties, we owe a duty to give Mr. President support to move this country forward. Some people said I betrayed PDP, I never betrayed PDP. We stood firm and told Nigerians we won’t do this if this is not done. So the issue of betrayal doesn’t arise.
“It is not everything you invest that you will reap. Even established companies crumble. You cannot say I did this but I am not benefitting. God knows why it happens the way it happens. What is important in life is to give God the glory that you are alive to see what is happening.
“When a man is dead, he doesn’t know what is happening. You will be able to advise your children and your friends. When the heat was on in Edo. This young man was a frontrunner in Edo Governorship election.
“PDP leaders came to me in Port Harcourt from 6pm to 6am the next day. I told the young man with Dan Orbih to withdraw and not to run for the governorship. He was crying and we agreed on what will be given to their group.
“He was to be refunded the money he spent and to get four commissioners but not one was kept. We said okay you would run for Senate in the next election. But not one was kept .
“But the next thing was blackmail that Wike wants to control this. But you didn’t know wike wants to control when you came and held a meeting with me from 6pm to 6am. It was all about blackmail. That is what you see in politics.
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“You must have shock absorbers. President Tinubu told me when we were meeting that politics and betrayal are the same mother and father. If you don’t want to be betrayed don’t enter politics.
“So prepare yourself that it will happen. I am fully prepared because I know it is one of the things President Tinubu taught me. I am laying this foundation so that some of you who are worried should not be. That is life for you. You must prepare yourself to know that these things happen. I have preached and continue to preach for the unity and for the peace in this state”.
Speaking on how the political crisis in Rivers got out of hands, Wike said: ” Ask people why this matter came to this level. When people went and plotted the removal of the speaker you think we will fold our hands to remove speaker?
“We will start with you first. You want to humiliate us to remove speaker? They said I should go and talk to the assembly men and I said why, they said you brought them. But I said so these ones will listen to me but you you won’t listen. They said chairmen of councils don’t respect anybody. But I said how why won’t they respect anybody? People plotting evil and nobody wants to talk.
“We must make impact on people lives. Whatever position you find yourself make impact. Forget about these people who cannot face me to fight me. I consumed them before and I will continue to consume them. Show them the way. Follow man that knows the way”.
Giving the opening remarks at the event, leader of the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives, Hon Kingsley Chinda described Wike as a strong leader who overcame all the challenges he has faced with.
Delivering a goodwill message, Speaker of the Rivers Assembly, Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule, on behalf of the lawmakers, thanked Wike for his support and guidance.
“You stood by us at our time of need. We promise to represent our constituencies well and also carry out the duties we were elected for. We are eternally grateful to you sir,” Amaewhule said.
He also thanked President Tinubu for appointing Wike as FCT Minister, adding that the entire Rivers Assembly will continue to give the needed support for him to succeed in office.
Also delivering a goodwill message, the Mayor of Port Harcourt, Alwell Ihunda stated that God has used Wike tremendously to provide good leadership to the people of Rivers.
“Today, we can feel the impact of Wike as the FCT Minister. We will continue to be grateful to God for giving you to us because you are a leader who carries everyone along, regardless of their ethnicity.
“We hereby reaffirm our support and loyalty to you. The political structure you have built in Rivers State cannot be dismantled just like that. We assure you that we are strongly behind you and will continue to work with you,” he said.
Ihunda also thanked Tinubu for his role in resolving the political crisis that rocked Rivers State, adding that the people of the state were firmly behind the president.
Present at the event include PDP National Chairman (South South) Chief Dan Orbih; Rivers APC Chairman, Tony Okocha, Amb Desmond Akawo, Amb Maureen Tamuno, Felix Obuah, former NBA chairman, OCJ Okocha, amongst others.
