A House of Representatives member from Rivers State, Solomon Bob has exonerated the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike in the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Speaking in an interview with TheNation, Bob who represents Ahoada East/Abua/Odual federal constituency says Wike who was the immediate past governor of Rivers state is only taking steps to protect himself from being killed by the man he helped to succeed him as governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Speaking further, Bob a ranking member in the House of Reps said Governor Fubara couldn’t have won a local government election on his own in Rivers because he was unmarketable and unsellable.
His words “First, there’s no turf war. The governor’s behaviour is outrageous; he is promoting division and primordial ethnic sentiments. Then, it seems that maybe his entire article of faith in government is to destroy his benefactor. There’s no turf war. Nyesom Wike, is a politician. He didn’t make Fubara governor to have himself annihilated. He didn’t make this man governor to be killed thereafter. He’s taking steps to protect himself from being killed”.
“This one looks like Frankenstein’s monster that wants to devour his maker. So, there’s no turf war. Nyesom Wike is a man of extreme generosity. And you saw that in making this man governor. A key part of integrity is gratitude. You cannot go after anyone who has helped you in life with a kind of mysterious animosity. We have seen what Fubara demonstrated against Nyesom Wike. What you are seeing today all over the country in terms of people saying negative things about Nyesom Wike are elements sponsored by him. No turf war. He did not make him governor to retire from politics”.
“Nyesom Wike is a young man. He’s 57. How old is Fubara? Fubara is nearly 50. About seven years between them. So, Nyesom Wike is too old to leave the government? Why is Fubara who is almost 50 still in government? So, he didn’t make him governor to be killed or to exit politics. No. To make somebody governor of a state like Rivers, you would have entered into enormous IOUs, because it is a herculean task. We all know the trouble he went through because Fubara was essentially an unsellable, unmarketable kind of guy”.
“You guys have seen that. You’ve seen the meaning of his life. I’m sure you’ve seen that. You’ve seen his attitude, body language, ability to express himself, and the way he conducts himself. Nobody saw this. Nyesom Wike is a man of extreme generosity. People going after him in the media are doing so for reasons that, if you let me, I can explain to you. Okay, so, If Wike doesn’t want him, why would he make him governor? “.
“It’s just that the man, as I told you, has engaged in outrageous behaviour. Nobody ever imagined that. Have you ever seen a governor come into office, and then within two weeks or a month, start to go after? And he’s not somebody who has any kind of political stature. If he had a political stature of your own, maybe you can say, okay, maybe he’s trying to protect what he had before. But he has zero political stature”.
“He could never have won a local government chairmanship, even from a small local government chairmanship. He could not have won. It’s not possible. Then they exhume you from that kind of anonymity, and obscurity, and then put you, thrust you in a big place in the limelight. And the first thing you do is to say, I want to kill this man. The man has the right, like I said, self-preservation is everyone’s right. He has the right to protect himself. So it’s not a turf war”.
