The ongoing clash between the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, continued on Saturday when the governor described the party chairman as a man without character.
Oshiomhole had, after the Supreme Court judgment that gave the Peoples Democratic Party victory in the Bayelsa State governorship election on Thursday, stated that nobody would be sworn in the South-South state the following day.
But the swearing-in held amid protests and violence, leading to declaration of a three-day curfew in the state.
Wike also dismissed Oshiomhole’s claim that he (Wike) was a violent politician, adding that the APC national chairman’s bitterness stemmed from the fact that he and his political party were stopped from stealing the mandate of Rivers people.
Wike had in his response accused Oshiomhole of trying to cause trouble in the Niger Delta region with his utterances, adding that the Federal Government should caution him.
Apparently dissatisfied with Wike’s reaction, Oshiomhole on Friday described the governor as a violent politician, who was trying to use the situation in Bayelsa to ingratiate himself with the PDP and the immediate past governor of the state, Seriake Dickson.
But in his fresh response on Saturday, Wike, who spoke in an interview at the Government House in Port Harcourt, called for the resignation of Oshiomhole in view of his failure to stop the inauguration of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, as he earlier boasted.
Wike added, “I think Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress is not a character that anybody should associate with.
“First of all, I have never been violent and I will never be violent. However, when you see an armed robber come to your house, will you plead with the armed robber and say please, I beg you, leave my house.
“People think that armed robbers are only those who cart away people’s money. The worst form of armed robbery is when you steal people’s mandate and just like what Oshiomhole is noted for. He thinks because he’s in the ruling party, he can use security to steal the mandate of the people.
“He was taught a lesson; a bitter lesson and I want to repeat, if you come to steal our mandate, the people will respond accordingly. They will oppose your stealing of their mandate. So, Oshiomhole thinks that because he is in the ruling party, nobody should say anything or do anything.”
The governor said he stopped attending the National Economic Council meeting because Oshiomhole turned the forum into an avenue to bash former President Goodluck Jonathan, even when he had gone to praise Jonathan at Aso Villa for ensuring credible elections that made him governor of Edo State at the time.
He said, “When Jonathan left office, one of the reasons why I didn’t go to NEC meeting was because of Oshiomhole when he was a member. When Jonathan left, there was no day at the NEC meeting Oshiomhole would not bring Jonathan down.
“Meanwhile, this was the same man Oshiomhole went to praise for allowing ‘one man, one vote’. But when the man (Jonathan) left, Oshiomhole changed. That is his character.”
The governor also accused the party chairman of trying to install himself as a godfather to Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, adding that Obaseki’s refusal was the reason for the disagreement between them.
He added, “Oshiomhole said he fought godfatherism and at the same time, he wants to install himself as a godfather in Edo State. Why is he fighting Obaseki because the man doesn’t take instructions from him? He (Oshiomhole) preaches what he doesn’t practise.”
Wike declared that he remained a strong and unrepentant member of the PDP, adding that speaking out his mind at all times did not question his membership of the party.
He added, “I will not be a member of their party. I have always been a member of PDP and they know that. Oshiomhole knows that his party did not even score up to 25 per cent in my state. He cannot not tell me that.”
