From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has accused his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, of being a serial betrayer and an ungrateful politician.
He also called on the national leadership of the party to constitute a panel to disciple the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shuaibu, for threatening to quit the party.
The Rivers governor, who spoke at the inauguration of Community Secondary School, Omuanwa, Ikwerre Local Government Area, yesterday, apologised to former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, for opposing him when he warned against admitting Obaseki into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the refusal of APC to hand him a second term gubernatorial ticket.
Obaseki, in a statement, condemned Wike’s attack on Shaibu, his deputy, describing him as a bully and highhanded leader saying PDP was not his personal property and that Edo State cannot be procured for anyone’s personal ambition.
But Wike said Oshiomhole has been vindicated given Obaseki’s actions against those who helped him to win the Edo State governorship poll in 2021 under the PDP platform.
“If you go and check the DNA of Godwin Obaseki, what you’ll see in that DNA is serial betrayal and ungratefulness. Let me stand today to apologise to Adams 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 Godwin Obaseki. So, let me apologise to Adams 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 Obaseki was not his match where character mattered because he is consistent, sincere and a forthright team player that has never betrayed any person who helped him politically.
He accused Obaseki of creating problems in Edo State PDP even when the party provided a formidable structure for him to win the election last year.
The Rivers Governor wondered why Obaseki was unable to bring everybody in Edo PDP together and work with them, but instead wants to unleash the illegality of APC in PDP, which is being resisted by party faithful.
“I’ve invested in the party, Rivers state has invested in the party. We have voted for PDP since 1999 till now. Ask Governor 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 the 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.”
He said it was unfortunate that Obaseki is describing him as a bully for being called to order as a PDP governor.
“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 the Edo State governor’s reference to him jostling to get the PDP presidential ticket smacks of jealousy and bitterness and that if he were to aspire for the highest office in the country he would get it.