A former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr Sam Egwu, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as “embarrassing and unguarded” remarks against South-East leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Egwu, in a statement made available to newsmen, expressed disappointment over Wike’s recent outburst, particularly his personal attacks on him and another former governor, Achike Udenwa.
South-East PDP leaders had, during a recent meeting, expressed displeasure with the national leadership’s failure to resolve the lingering crisis surrounding the position of the party’s National Secretary.
They warned that the zone might reconsider its relationship with the PDP if the stalemate persisted.
However, in a BBC Pidgin interview, Wike dismissed their concerns as baseless and questioned the political relevance of Egwu and Udenwa, noting that neither had delivered significant results for the party in their states.
Reacting, Egwu said Wike’s comments were not only disappointing but also an affront to the collective decision of PDP stakeholders in the region.
“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,” Egwu said.
“Particularly worrisome is Wike’s personalisation of what was supposed to be the collective position of PDP stalwarts in the South-East. It is in bad taste for him to have singled out Achike Udenwa and myself for vilification.”
He insisted that the South-East PDP, as a political bloc, has every right to take a stance on issues affecting the zone, and warned that such decisions should not be dismissed or ridiculed.
Egwu further accused Wike of stoking the political crisis in Rivers State by refusing to allow his successor, Governor Siminalayi Fubara, to govern independently.
He said, “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 challenged Wike to grant Fubara the same political space and freedom he himself allowed his successors.
“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,” he said.
Egwu concluded by urging Wike to focus on fostering unity within the PDP rather than launching personal attacks on respected leaders in the party.
