The fight between the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has more than what meets the eyes, as Wike has humiliated a former governor of the state, former deputy speaker of House of Representatives, a former senator over their support for Atiku.
Goldennewsng reports that Wike humiliated the PDP stakeholders for supporting Atiku and planning to hold a meeting with the PDP presidential candidate without his consent.
What many heard was that Wike dissolved the governing council of Elechi Amadi Polytechnic for repositioning and effectiveness, but many did not know that the chairman of the governing council was a former lawmaker, Senator Maeba.
Senator Maeba who was removed as the Chairman of Elechi Amadi Polytechnic for his support for Atiku, to make the removal decent, Wike dissolved the governing council.
Speaking on the state of issues in the PDP family in Rivers State, as it concerns Atiku and Wike, Senator Maeba revealed that the relationship between Wike and Atiku was not what many people know.
Senator Maeba stated that former governor, Celestine Omehia, Chief Austin Opara, former House representatives Deputy Speaker and himself were humiliated by Wike for supporting Atiku.
Speaking in an interview with PUNCH on Monday, on the situation of PDP, Wike and Atiku in Rivers State, Senator Maeba said, “We have a candidate of the party who has the capacity to lead Nigeria out of crisis. So nothing can deter us from supporting Atiku to save Nigeria.
“Wike is not hiding that he is fighting Atiku. Yes, he said so. He called a meeting of Ogoni people who are with him and told them to tell me that he will see how I will campaign for Atiku in this state and he is ready to fight to the finish.
“We don’t know what he (Wike) is planning to do because when campaigns start we are qualified to campaign too. We are waiting to see how he will do it. This is a joke taken too far.”
On the removal of Celestine Omehia, Chief Austin Opara, as leaders of their party in Ikwerre and Port Harcourt City local government areas respectively and other issues concerning Wike’s threat to Atiku and his supporters.
Senator Maeba revealed, “Yes, he (Wike) called them and humiliated them before their people because we went to pay a solidarity visit to Atiku which we are supposed to do.
“All of us knew Atiku before him. Austin Opara has been in the House of Representatives since 1999. He was the deputy speaker when Atiku was Vice-President. At that time Wike was struggling to be local government chairman. So, if Austin Opara has to take permission from him today to go and see Atiku, then something is wrong.
“There is nobody that is in charge of any vote. Vote is individual business now. For somebody to be boasting that he is in charge of votes, means he has a rigging plan.
“Why are you in charge of votes? You cannot be in charge of votes, because everybody has individual votes to cast. If Adegboyega Oyetola was in charge of votes in Osun, he wouldn’t have lost election.
“So, for somebody to be boasting he is in charge of votes, people should ask him where do you want to get the votes? How many voters card does he have?”
“Let me tell you something. When you apportion so much right to yourself, then you are superhuman. Austin Opara was the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives when Atiku Abubakar was the Vice President. They attended caucus meeting together and National Economic Council Meeting.
“So, does it mean that Austin Opara who has been friends with Atiku for over 20 years ago will now start to beg Wike to go and see Atiku?
“So, he (Wike) is the one who doesn’t have respect for citizens.
Like me, I met Atiku first in 1992 in Jos for the SDP campaigns. We started working together in 2003 when I became Senator. That time where was he (Wike)? When Austin Opara was working with Atiku, holding meetings, Wike was struggling to come into limelight.
“So, when you use comments like that that you are not the kind of politician that people will hold meetings against in Abuja, he goes to Abuja every day. He flies to Abuja. In fact he virtually sleeps in Abuja. So if you don’t have respect for the rights of senior citizens of the state, you don’t have respect for their right to survive and self-sustenance, then something is wrong with your own system,” the former senator stated.
“If you continue to call yourself, I am a strong Governor, we need strong institutions not strong men. The best way to democracy is strong institutions not strong men.
“A strong man is synonymous with the Idi Amin’s of those days. There are no strong men anymore. What we need are strong institutions to strengthen our institutions.”
