, Nyesom Wike, have urged former Rivers State Governor Dr. Peter Odili to forgive Wike over his recent comments against him.){kind=link}
Kinsmen of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, have urged former Rivers State Governor Dr. Peter Odili to forgive Wike over his recent comments against him.
This plea comes after Wike accused Odili of personalizing Rivers State during his tenure and claimed to have “restored life” to Odili and his family. Wike’s remarks were seen as a response to Odili’s earlier statement, which, without naming anyone, praised Governor Siminialayi Fubara for preventing an individual from turning Rivers State into a personal estate.
The Initiative for Transparent Strategy and Good Leadership, led by Chizy Enyi, a kinsman of Wike, condemned the minister’s comments as unnecessary and disrespectful.
“It is wrong for Wike to say such unprintable things about Dr. Odili, especially when Odili did not directly call him out,” Enyi said. “This is the same Wike who once publicly stated that without Odili and his wife, he would not have become governor of Rivers State. He swore never to say anything that would hurt the Odili family, but his actions today prove otherwise.”
Enyi further criticized Wike for what he described as the minister’s “showmanship,” claiming it undermines Rivers State’s development and tarnishes Wike’s own image. He called on Odili to forgive Wike, emphasizing the former governor’s esteemed status in the state.
Sarah-Igbe: Wike is a “Drowning Man”
Chief Anabs Sarah-Igbe, spokesperson for the Pan Niger Delta Elders Forum (PANDEF) and a former security adviser to Odili, also criticized Wike. He described the minister as a “drowning man” seeking to drag others down with him.
Sarah-Igbe recalled Wike’s previous praise for Odili and his wife, Justice Mary Odili (retd.), only to later insult them. “While Odili has a name, integrity, and pedigree, Wike lacks these qualities,” he said, urging the public not to take Wike’s comments seriously.
He accused Wike of routinely insulting respected elders in Rivers State and the Niger Delta, including Pa Edwin Clarke and the late Alabo Graham Douglas. Sarah-Igbe suggested that Wike’s anger stems from losing control of Rivers State’s local government structure and House of Assembly to Governor Fubara.
“His frustration is evident in his attacks on anyone who opposes his actions,” Sarah-Igbe said, urging Odili to ignore Wike’s insults and continue his role as a statesman in Rivers State.