Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has denied claims that some political leaders made him Governor of Rivers State. He emphasized that while he did receive support from certain leaders, he fought his way to power.
Wike also compared his political journey to that of current Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, whom he claimed he supported in becoming governor of Rivers State.
He made these comments during a civic reception for loyal politicians in Rivers State on Friday in Port Harcourt.
This statement came after old videos resurfaced on social media showing former First Lady of Nigeria, Patience Jonathan, introducing Wike as the preferred successor to then-Governor Rotimi Amaechi to former governor Peter Odili and other political leaders in Rivers State.
These videos came to light amid a public disagreement between Wike and Odili over the current political crisis in the state.
Odili had publicly shown support for Governor Fubara, which infuriated Wike, who believes the former governor should have refrained from taking sides and instead played the role of a father figure by addressing the political crisis in the state.
Wike said, “You didn’t give me. To be governor of Rivers State 2014, I fought for the party structure. I took it from Magnus Abe, yes, I did.
“So you can’t say you made me Governor. Nobody, I don’t want to make comments about certain people, I won’t do that.
“You Magnus, all of you, Victor Giadom, I fought you people, took the party structure.
“So, nobody can say I brought Wike, I dashed you. Nobody can say that. But it would be unfair to me, to Almighty God, for me to say nobody supported me.
“No you can’t say that. You need people’s support, but not to say you gave me.”
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Patience Jonathan, and Peter Odili were said to have played major roles in Wike’s emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015.
At the time, former Governor Amaechi had fallen out with Jonathan and his wife, prompting them to throw their support behind Wike, who had served as Amaechi’s Chief of Staff and later as Minister of State for Education under Jonathan.
