Embattled Wike apologises to supporters over Fubara, as Sekibo celebrates 20 years in National Assembly [SEE GENESIS]

By OUR REPORTER, Port Harcourt

In what looks like he is now apparently hit by Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s resolve to assert his position as the chief accounting and security officer given the mandate by people of Rivers State in the 2023 election, immediate past governor of the state, Nyesom Wike, at the weekend apologised to his supporters over his choice of the candidate urging them not to despair.

Wike, who is the immediate past governor of Rivers State spoke on Saturday May 11, 2024, at St Martins Church Field Ogu town in Ogu/Bolo LGA, during the Grand Civic reception held in honour of Senator George Thompson Sekibo, who was celebrating 20 years of meritorious service at the National Assembly and 36 years of his life in Public Service.

While making reference to the political imbroglio in the state, Wike assued that despite the political maneuvering and clandestine movement to procure court injunctions, that the law will take its full course, while urging Assembly loyal to him not to be frightened.

Also, the Minister reacted to the assertion by the Governor Siminalayi Fubara insinuating that he was not going to worship any man, Wike clarified that he had never told anybody to worship him.

“I have never told anybody to worship me. Nobody can worship man. All of us believe that we only have one God and I is only that God we will worship and we will continue to worship that God.

“We are politicians, we appreciate people who have helped us. Ogu/Bolo people, why I came to ask you to support me, you supported me. Did I worship you? But I have to appreciate you. If you did not support me I would not have been in the position that I am in.

“So where does the issue of worship come from?”

He also harped on the importance of gratitude, saying since God passes through people to lift people, it is the appreciation of the beneficiaries to his benefactor God would feel appreciated

However the ex Governor noted that he is not a push over, saying that his occupation is to keep making the other camp to make mistakes and continue running in to trouble.

He said: “I came because I respect people who appreciate what God has done for them, who appreciate what God used people to do them. God does not come down to help people. God uses people to help people.

“So when you have been helped and you appreciate them and then God will know that you have appreciated him.

“I want to say this clearly, in life we have made a mistake, we’ll we have made the mistake and there is nothing we can do about it.

“I have made a mistake and I have said God forgive me, and all of you forgive me, but we will correct that it in the appropriate time. I am a human being and I am bound to make mistake. My judgement might be wrong so forgive me.

“So nobody should kill himself. Let me say it clearly, Arnold, do not be frightened that anybody will remove you as an Assembly member. Most of you do not you do not understand, this is our work.

“I have no other work than to make them to be angry every day. They will continue to make mistakes everyday and they will keep being in trouble everyday.

“If they like, they can go to anybody’s house by 2 am to secure court injunction, but foul, the law will take its course.

“We are not afraid, we follow due process. We will not arm any body to fight for us.”

Genesis

It will be recalled that to spite Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the only man that ever made opposition (APC) win election and govern the South South economic nerve centre, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the twilight of his presidential election uncertainty made a deal with then sitting governor Wike, regardless the interest of his own APC, for votes of Rivers, it was gathered.

Consequently upon achieving the goal of the deal, Tinubu compensated Wike with FCT ministerial position and additionally handed him the APC structure, thereby sacrificing the chances of his own party, the All Progresives Congress (APC) while, at the same time, Wike still claimed the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was helped through an allegedly open and widespread electoral violence to defeat the Amaechi-led APC in Rivers State.

Not too long, crisis brew between the former governor and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara, when the former governor reportedly demanded to control or be allocated 20 percent of the state total revenues but the governor rejected the demand.

Like wanting to follow the footprint of Tinubu’s domination and use of House of Assembly members as tools for checks on his successive governors, which he did since leaving Lagos State power in 2007, Nyesom Wike, who thought he had full control of the 2023 elected Rivers House of Assembly, then struck by using the newly constituted state legislators of which he alone had 27 to impeach the governor.

Also, like having also studied why and how successive governors in Lagos State failed to checkmate Tinubu until his political pinnacle grew strong wings almost uncheckable, Governor Fubara did what Tinubu’s immediate successor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, knew was needed to be done but failed to do for self and not Lagos State indigenes interest.

He clipped Wike’s growing wings before they matured by demolishing the legislative power the FCT minister relied upon to put him inside pocket thereby dominating and incapacitating him from being able to perform as Governor. A new speaker loyal to the governor emerged and the speaker planted by Wike was sent packing with his 27-member pro-Wike group of lawmakers.

Tinubu intervened by making Fubara, a PDP governor, sign a peace accord favouring mainly Wike inside his Aso Rock at a meeting predominantly attended by APC leaders, a development that led many watchers of the events to either criticising Fubara or cautioning him against trusting both Tinubu and Wike on any agreement.

Not too long, Wike announced that his part of the agreement had been fulfilled, although his own legislators swing into action immediately by reversing executive actions of the governor when they were yet to be cleared since after their seats were declared vacant having defected from PDP, on whose mandate they were in the Assembly, to APC a party that Wike leads in the manner of PDP-in-the-face-but-APC-in-the-heart.

On Saturday May 11, Nyesom Wike, while apologising, pleaded with his supporters to forgive him over his choice of governorship candidate in the 2023 general election, saying in the appropriate time, the mistake would be corrected.

In the meantime, however, Governor Fubara has now fully taken full control of his government with backing of many who say that he can continue to run the state with Executive Orders until the House of Assembly is stabilised, although a new speaker loyal to the governor has now emerged.