The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has accused former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili of encouraging Governor Siminalayi Fubara to defy President Bola Tinubu.
Wike blamed Odili for the collapse of the peace agreement that had been signed between his camp and Fubara.
He made the remarks during a reception held to host Rivers State stakeholders on Friday.
Read Also: Former Council Chairman Speaks On Alleged Agreement Between Wike And Local Government Chairmen To Deduct N20m Monthly From LG Allocations
The political struggle for control of the state between Fubara and Wike has been ongoing for some time, following the fallout between the two former allies, who are now adversaries.
In 2023, Fubara and Wike’s camps signed a peace agreement. The eight-point deal was facilitated by President Tinubu and other key stakeholders, including Odili, during an important meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
However, the peace deal unraveled, with Fubara claiming that he was ambushed into signing the agreement with Wike’s camp.
Odili, a two-term governor of Rivers State, accused Wike of prioritizing self-interest.
Speaking at an event in Port Harcourt on December 28, Odili praised Fubara for preventing Wike from turning the state into his personal estate.
“It has now been over 12 months since the 25th of October 2023, when a fierce existential fight, though unnecessary, was waged against Governor Fubara over the soul of Rivers State.
“With assuring fortitude, Governor Fubara confronted the challenge, prevented the quest by one man to capture the state as a private estate, emancipated Rivers people, steadied governance, and made civil servants and Rivers people happier, as it used to be until I left office in 2007,” Odili said.
Read Also: Wike Suffers Huge Blow As Fubara Takes Fresh Action On Odili In Rivers
However, on Friday, Wike hit back at Odili, asserting that he remained the best governor the state had ever had.
“I am trying to make Rivers State the medical hub of South-South Nigeria. How did I now come to convert Rivers State into a personal estate?” Wike questioned.
“I am the best governor that Rivers State has ever produced. How did I convert Rivers State into my personal estate? And people will not answer a simple question?”
Wike states that he would not apologise for his comments on Odili.
“He (Odili) said somebody is converting Rivers State to his personal estate and we have now come to show statistics that it is not correct. The man who is converting Rivers State to a personal estate is you, and to crown it all, you are now the general overseer.
“They said Tinubu should be careful, but Tinubu is not like you. Tinubu called Rivers people, your elder statesman (Odili), supposedly. You are Tinubu’s colleague, the President’s colleague, and Mr President read this thing (peace agreement) to them, and you read it and came back home.
“Ordinarily, what you (Odili) should have done was to call Mr President back and say, ‘Mr President, I have tried, we have implemented A, B, C, D, E, it remains F, G, H. Is there any way we can meet again to reconcile these F, G, H?’ Never, rather you encouraged him (Fubara) to disobey everything Mr President said,” Wike said.
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2Z
