Nyesom Wike, has claimed that the root of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s grievance is that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not offer him a ministerial appointment.
Wike made the assertion on Monday while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt, reacting to allegations recently made against him by Makinde in a separate interview.
According to Wike, the issue was discussed within the G-5 group of governors, which included himself, former Abia State governor Okezie Ikpeazu, ex-Benue governor Samuel Ortom, and former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. He said the group even met with President Tinubu over Makinde’s concerns.
“When we agreed on this, Seyi’s problem was that he was not given a ministerial slot. Even when he was talking, you could see the anger in him. We told him to calm down,” Wike said.
He added that Tinubu acknowledged the concerns raised during the meeting, noting that certain factors may not have been considered initially.
Wike also recalled an incident following a reception organised in his honour by Rivers Ijaw people, where Ortom openly declared support for Tinubu’s second term. He said Makinde reacted publicly to Ortom’s comments instead of addressing the matter internally.
“I called him and said, even if Ortom said that, you shouldn’t have replied in the newspapers. You should have called a meeting so we could debate,” Wike stated.
The FCT minister further alleged that Makinde’s reactions to political issues are influenced by what he described as the governor’s early financial success.
According to Wike, “The one million dollars Seyi Makinde said he made as a young man is still intoxicating him. Sometimes he reacts unnecessarily, forgetting that many people made one million dollars, but Dangote went on to become the richest man in Africa.”
