* You’re a serial betrayal, ingrate – Wike slams Obaseki
* Obaseki fires back: No, you lack capacity to bully me
The crisis of confidence between Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, has taken a new dimension as the two governors have now engaged in war-of-words just as both sides are now using uncomplimentary words against each other.
Incidentally, the two feuding governors are from the South-South geo-political zone and elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike has descended on Obaseki and claimed that his Edo State counterpart is a serial betrayal and ungrateful human being. He also apologized to former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole for failing to heed his advice over the alleged conduct of Obaseki.
Trouble started on Monday when Obaseki called on the leaders of the PDP to call Wike order, insisting that the issues raised by his Deputy, Hon Philip Shaibu, over non-integration of new PDP members were germane and needed to be resolved in the interest of the party.
Lambasting Wike, Obaseki said “The recent personal attacks by His Excellency, the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, against my Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu is, to say the least, most unfortunate and totally uncalled for.
“If Governor Wike was one who is won’t to show respect and courtesy to his colleague-governors, he would have ordinarily reached out to me to express his concerns about the views made by my deputy governor, rather than embarking on this unwarranted public onslaught.
Obaseki further informed Wike that he lacked the capacity to bully him and other stakeholders in Edo State, saying that the state abhors bullying and godfatherism.
He said, “In Edo, we don’t accept political bullies and overlords and historically, we have demonstrated our capacity to unshackle ourselves and dethrone bullies and highhanded leaders.
Asking PDP leaders to call Wike to order Obaseki said, “I appeal to all well-meaning leaders of our great party to call Governor Wike to order to desist from his current unguarded and disruptive tendencies
But Wike has slammed the Edo Governor and said certain uncomplimentary words against Obaseki.
Addressing party faithful during a commissioning of a secondary school in Omuanwa community in Rivers State on Monday, Wike accused Obaseki of betrayal and ingratitude.
He also alleged that Obaseki has refused to be grateful to the PDP and the people who supported him to be re-elected when he left the ruling APC.
Wike further seized the opportunity to apologise to Oshiomhole, whom he said had initially warned them about accepting Obaseki into the PDP fold.
He said, “If you check the DNA of Obaseki, what you will see in that DNA is betrayal, 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, the insincerity, the ungratefulness of Governor Obaseki.
“We have voted for the PDP since 1999 till now; ask Governor Obaseki if he has done anything for PDP (or) voted for PDP. The only election he voted was his own election – where we gave him an umbrella.”.
Wike also described the comments by his Edo counterpart as a rant, saying governance was about feeling and touching, and not a memorandum of understanding.
Wike went on to highlight his contribution to the efforts that led to Obaseki’s re-election, having served as the Director-General (DG) of his campaign organisation in 2020.
He said, “Let me clearly say without any apology to anybody that one of the problems in this country is leadership – people who cannot stand firm and say: this is white; this is black at all times.
“I am not in the class of Obaseki, never! We are not the same, we can’t be the same. I was the DG of his campaign, I went there (to Edo) for three days. I stayed there without having my bath. I have never seen somebody like that in my life – a serial betrayer.
“Let me tell you Obaseki, I know your cohorts and I will smoke all of you out. This is not the Benin artefact that you were challenging the Oba (of Benin), this is politics. Obaseki, I have more stake in PDP than you. I have fought for this party, mention one thing that you have done for the PDP.”
