Former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu, has taken a swipe at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his uncomplimentary remarks on South-East leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as reckless and unguarded.
South-East leaders in PDP had, at a recent meeting, frowned on the inability of the national leadership of the party to resolve the lingering crisis over the position of the National Secretary of the party, threatening that it would be compelled to reconsider its relationship with the party if the stalemate is not resolved.
However, while reacting to what was supposed to be the collective position of South-East PDP, Wike descended into name-calling by singling out Sam Egwu and Achike Udenwa for vilification.
Wike had, in an interview with BBC Pidgin, dismissed the threat from South-East PDP as empty, wondering why former governors like Achike Udenwa and Sam Egwu, who produced neither governors nor National Assembly members and could not deliver three percent of votes in their states to the PDP, should threaten the party.
Egwu said he was embarrassed by Wike’s vitriol and wondered why the collective decision of PDP leaders of the South-East should be narrowed down to one or two persons.
In a statement, Egwu said Wike’s aggression was misplaced and uncalled for.
He reminded the former Rivers State governor that he produced his successor while leaving office in 2007.
Egwu held further that if Wike is beating his chest as someone who produced a governor in his state, it is simply because he left office as governor less than two years ago.
He said Wike is living on borrowed time as his influence will soon burn out.
He challenged Wike to make it possible for the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, to return to office and see whether he (Wike) will be in a position to produce the next governor of his state in the near future.
According to Egwu, Wike did nothing extraordinary by producing his successor.
He reminded Wike again that he (Egwu) did not just produce his successor in 2007, he, eight years after leaving office as governor, played a leading role in producing the governor that succeeded Martin Elechi, his immediate successor.
He also said that Wike’s boastfulness was misplaced, describing it as the effusions of a new comer who thinks that everything about the system is rosy.
He said that Wike will begin to see clearly by the time he spends a reasonable length of time in the inclement weather of politics.
“For now, he can afford to bask in the glory of his new office and the powers that come with.”
He challenged Wike to give his successor the chance to operate freely just as he ( Egwu) did, pointing out that it was Wike’s insistence to still be in charge after leaving office that led to the political crisis in Rivers State.
The statement reads in part:
“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. Particularly worrisome is Wike’s personalization of what was supposed to be the collective position of PDP stalwarts in the south east.
It is in bad taste for Wike to have singled out Achike Udenwa and myself for vilification. This attack is not only embarrassing to me, it is unwarranted.
“As a political family, the PDP in the south east zone has the right to take a position on matters that affect it, one way or the other. That was simply what we did. It is not up to Wike or any other person for that matter to use that as a launchpad for personal attacks and name-calling.
“If Wike were discerning enough, he would have known that most outgoing governors usually produce their successors. That Wike did it in his state is no rocket science. I produced my successor in Martin Elechi. I also played a leading role in determining who succeeded Elechi. It takes influence and grassroots appeal to achieve that.
“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 return as governor so that we will see whether he will still be in a position to decide who becomes governor in Rivers State in the near future. I also invite Wike to give his successor a free hand to operate as I did. It is his insistence on taking control of the state that ignited the ongoing political crisis in his state.”
