The nomination of former Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike for a ministerial position by President Bola Tinubu has remained a subject of controversy.
Wike, who prior to the 2023 general election had declared that he would never take up a ministerial position, is believed to have worked for Tiubu’s emergence, against his own party’s candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
He was instrumental to the formation of the G-5 Integrity Group, alongside four other then-state governors. The group worked against the PDP during the presidential election.
His nomination as minister is seen to be a reward for that act.
This thought was put forward by an APC chieftain, Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, who said Wike’s ministerial nomination was “compensation” for his role in Tinubu’s victory at the 2023 presidential election.
Ogunlewe said: “It is so easy to decipher. If you are following the development that cumulated in the last election, you would know the role Wike played and you must give him compensation for that role.”
Stakeholders of the opposition party, PDP, met last weekend, and the discussion was said to have centred around Wike and other post-election matters.
But the party is said to be in a dilemma in handling Wike, with some stakeholders warning that his case could further destabilize the party.
This came to the fore as the party recently announced Wike as a member of its Campaign Council for the November governorship election in Bayelsa State.
Commenting on the development, Dirun Odeyemi, a former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, said expelling Wike would not be in the best interest of the party.
Odeyemi noted that expelling Wike would lead to the exodus of some governors from the party.
He told newsmen that: “They know the right thing to do at the right time, even though there is an argument for and against, some people believe that Wike’s acceptance and nomination is not new.
“Another school of thought believes that Wike should resign from the party. It will be very difficult to expel him because there is an adage in Yoruba that says when you beat a mad man you will realise that he has relatives.
“It’s not easy to touch Wike because if you expel him, you will be expelling some PDP governors.
“In PDP now, what we should do is to persuade and resolve all the issues within the party.”
Taking to their Twitter handles, some Nigerians dragged Wike over his appointment as a minister, adding that PDP has lost its relevance.
Find some of the tweets below:
@BolanleColer: “From a LION in PDP to a RAT in APC from Malaria to Cancer, the fall of Port-Harcourt Megaphone.”
@mrlurvy: “Wike, Ortom, Ikpeazu, and Ugwuanyi have been included in the Bayelsa campaign council list of the PDP. Something is fundamentally wrong with everybody at Wadata Plaza. And I am happy it is happening.
The PDP has lost its relevance. It has no ideals, discipline or foresight any more. I strongly advise that the party be deregistered by INEC.”
@FirstObidient: “Amaechi was used against Goodluck Jonathan and was made Minister by Buhari. Wike was also used against Peter Obi and has been nominated for a ministerial position under Tinubu, why Rivers dey groom Judas?”