Despite his progressive inclination and current political leaning as a foundation member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Eze Chukwumeka Eze, has voiced his displeasure over the aggressively self-assertive characteristic of Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, whose notoriety in the use of very harsh condemnatory and fowl languages against perceive political foes and more recently, former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and other notable Nigerians who have made serious sacrifices for the domestication of democracy, nauseate every right thinking member of society.
In a statement made available to media houses in Port Harcourt, Chief Eze said Wike’s truculent criticisms and barrage of uncultured invectives since the announcement of the result of the PDP presidential primaries exposes him as a troubled man with a streak of sadism in him
“Not minding my present political affiliation with APC, as a patriotic Nigerian I cannot stand aloof and watch helplessly as one of the political institutions in Nigeria is decimated and desecrated by Governor Nyesom Wike who was a mere student activist when Atiku Abubakar was playing actively to champion the enthronement of genuine democracy in Nigeria.
“At times in public utterances, people should be careful and do the best they can to study and understand some of the characters against whom they discuss and stop running down leaders who they know very well they cannot be better than.
Acknowledging whatever Governor Nyesom Wike may have claimed to contribute with public funds in sustaining the PDP, Chief Eze said it is impious for the Governor to allow his dusky garrulousness to take a better part of him, making him to behave like a deposed emperor especially towards a nationalistic political organization like the PDP which he knows very little or nothing about how it was formed.
“The Governor cannot scheme the same primitive style of politics he uses in Rivers State where public institutions and very significant individuals including Traditional, Religious and Political Leaders are treated like a conquered species and conditioned to a pattern of behavior peculiar only to the times of slave trade. Such exhibition of lordly disdain and inhuman uppity coupled with an embarrassing entitlement mentality must have to be dismantled and not tolerated at this critical moment of our national life”.
Particularly unsettled by the the adjectival phrases deployed by the Governor to describe Atiku Abubakar over his comment on what informed his choice of a running-mate, Eze said for Wike to describe the former Vice President whose inputs towards sustaining the growth of Nigeria’s nascent democracy, especially for fighting the third term Agenda of erstwhile President of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo, as a Liar for stating the obvious, he will live to regret the consequences of his unguarded diatribes.
“Atiku Abubakar is not his age mate or political mate notwithstanding the fact that the situation of things has made him to continue to relate with dubious characters like the Rivers Governor whose style of politics and self-centered leadership model is abhorrent and grossly antithetical to the new Nigeria envisaged in 2023.”
Recall that Chief Eze had earlier-on emphasized that Gov. Wike had nothing to tell Nigerians about Atiku and PDP when he boasted in the public glare that he would speak soon. “I have told the world that Wike has absolutely nothing to tell Nigerians or the world about Atiku Abubakar or PDP that key watchers and political followers in Nigeria do not know yet he went further to ridicule himself and demean the values for which the great people of Rivers State are known.
“What exactly did Atiku say to warrant being called a liar before the general public?” Eze queried. “This is just to show how disgruntled Gov. Nyesom Wike has become. This is not the culture of the good people of Rivers State, not of Africa where we hold elders in high esteem.”
“How can one call great leaders like Sule Lamido and Aliyu Babangida, who were Governors before he dreamt of becoming a Governor “War Dogs of Atiku Abubakar.” This is most sad, unfortunate, UnAfrican and unacceptable. After following his political development these past sixteen years, Eze said he remains highly disappointed with his political maneuvers that have diminished everything remaining of his relevance in the political space.
He recalled how the Governor allegedly wasted billions of Rivers money in pursuit of his elusive Presidential and Vice Presidential ambitions all of which he lost on both counts.
Eze joins His Excellency Sule Lamido the former Governor of Jigawa State to counsel Wike to learn from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan etc and his predecessors in the state, Dr. Peter Odili and Rt Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who showed maturity when they lost the presidential tickets of their parties.
“Sule Lamido went further to state, “A day to the PDP’s presidential convention, which Peter Odili of Rivers State was bound to win and was also bound to win the presidential election, he was stopped by the party which went on to nominate President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who did not even show interest.
“He was promised a vice presidential ticket and yet he was not given. He took everything as the mature man he is. “Look at the APC, Vice President Osinbajo was humiliated; the Senate president was also humiliated and even his countryman, Amaechi was given the same treatment; they took it as mature men and did not go about complaining as Wike is doing. This is called maturity.
“Do you know why? This is because the party is supreme. You cannot be bigger than your party. Party is organic. The convention has come and gone. Osinbajo, Lawan and Amaechi have shown maturity because their party has spoken. If Wike is in the APC will he be talking and behaving as he is doing now?
Having pointed out why Wike failed the Presidential ambition and why Atiku Abubakar or any other sound leader cannot make the deadly mistake of accepting him to deputize for them, Chief Eze said should his counsel make no meaning to the Governor, then at least he should read through the recent interview of Ambassador Wali and learn how to conduct himself in his future dealings.
“Accordingly, Amb. Aminu Wali highlighted, “Everybody has got his own way of assessing people and trying to see how best they fit into a context. I don’t know Okowa personally. I only met with him at the National Executive Council meetings. He passes and I pass.
“But his demeanor and that of Wike are some of the things that those who decided in his favour noted. Wike is somebody that is dedicated to the party and he goes out of his way to do whatever it takes to assist the party, especially financially. But in the process, he creates other problems, which are what people don’t even say. He went about his campaigns and the kind of dust he raised and leaves behind in everywhere he goes left people in scare. What would happen if this man becomes the presidential candidate of the party? He has more or less quarreled with everybody in the party. His language, his demeanor, the way he approaches people and all that. Yes, you can be as blunt as you want, but the language you use should not be offensive. And this is unfortunately what trailed after Wike and I believe that this must have been the main cause for a lot of people to turn against him. He is a very decent human being, one-on-one, when you don’t have any issue with him, you are bound to like him, but he lacked the finishing. We served in the same council even though I didn’t stay long with him. I came in and three or four months after he left to go for his governorship race. And for me as Foreign Minister, mostly I was never in council.
The APC Chief expressed shock that a calibre of leader like Prof. Jerry GANA who played a key role in the formation of PDP could not advise Governor Nyesom Wike not only toe the path of peace and respect for party leaders and Elders but instead joined him in his shenanigans and macabre dance just because he throws Richmond’s around.
Further more, Eze counseled Atiku Abubakar to toe the path of reconcilation but never to succumb to most of these antecedents of Governor Wike because such venture will be erroneous and portray him as a “weak Leader” which he said is the direct opposite of the personality of the former Vice President.
He called on Wike, as a friend, to play down talking and turn a new leaf and develop a new political future for himself. This he said is possible if the Rivers Governor can learn and respect the opinion of others.
