A former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu, has expressed strong disapproval of recent remarks made by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, accusing him of making “embarrassing and unguarded” comments against South-East leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Naijaonpoint reports that Egwu’s reaction follows Wike’s personal attacks on him and former governor, Achike Udenwa, which came after a meeting of South-East PDP leaders.
During the meeting, the leaders voiced their dissatisfaction with the national leadership of the party over the unresolved crisis surrounding the position of National Secretary. They also warned that the zone might reconsider its relationship with the PDP if the deadlock persists.
In a BBC Pidgin interview, Wike dismissed their concerns as baseless and questioned the political relevance of Egwu and Udenwa, suggesting that neither had made significant contributions to the party’s success in their states.
Egwu, in a statement made available to newsmen on Monday, condemned Wike’s remarks, describing them as not only disappointing but also an affront to the collective position of the PDP stakeholders in the South-East.
He stressed that the South-East PDP had the right to take a stance on issues affecting the region and warned that their decisions should not be belittled.
“My attention has been drawn to the unsavoury remarks by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike, wherein he described the demand by South-East leaders on the national leadership of the PDP as empty.
“It is in bad taste for him to have singled out Achike Udenwa and myself for vilification,” Egwu said.
Egwu also accused Wike of exacerbating the political crisis in Rivers State by refusing to allow his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to govern independently.
He pointed out that political influence is built on grassroots appeal and not on aggression or dominance, as Wike had portrayed.
“Wike did nothing extraordinary by producing his successor. I did the same in 2007 when I handed over to Martin Elechi. Eight years after leaving office, I also played a key role in determining who succeeded Elechi. It takes influence and grassroots appeal to achieve that—not aggression and dominance,” Egwu stated.
He challenged Wike to give Fubara the same political space and freedom he had granted his own successors.
Egwu further warned Wike that his current political tactics, particularly his domineering approach in Rivers State, would not last. He urged the Minister to allow Fubara to govern autonomously and see whether Wike would retain the same political influence in the state.
“Wike can boast for now about producing his successor, but he will soon burn himself out. He is living on borrowed time. I challenge him to allow Siminalayi Fubara to truly govern and then see if he will still have the political strength to determine the next governor in Rivers State,” Egwu said.
In conclusion, Egwu called on Wike to shift his focus from personal attacks and instead work towards fostering unity within the PDP.