Wike, Fubara Resume Feud, Minister Slams Governor for Allegedly Calling Him ‘Barking Dog’

·  Gov’s loyalist hands over state PDP structure to minister’s bloc

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The long-running rivalry between the FCT Minister and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and his successor, Siminalayi Fubara flared up again yesterday, as Wike condemned his political godson for allegedly referring to him as a “barking dog.”

Wike, during a thank-you visit to Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area in Rivers State, once more challenged Fubara to disclose the promise the Governor made during a peace meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Addressing his supporters, Wike who once more regretted that his impact in Fubara’s emergence as Rivers Governor has caused him so much, insisted that he would not make such mistake come 2027.

The FCT Minister explained: “Let me just say something, somebody said a dog is barking. This dog that is barking now, barked when Rivers people did not even know who the person was and the dog that barked made the person Governor. It is very unfortunate that the same dog is barking, I wish him good luck.

“We are not talking about party, all of us have decided that we are going to work for Aswaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is no discussion about that, but as far as the State is concerned we will take decision, and we are not going to do same mistake we made last time. We are here to correct the mistake.

“I heard somebody said those who worked for Atiku are back, they couldn’t do their duty 10 percent, so what is the political advantage. I won’t call their names but you all know them. We will do all we can to see that we give Aswaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu all the total support that is required.”

He criticised Fubara for failing to allegedly keep his promise at the peace meeting with the presidency.

“Ewor (Factional Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers, Dr. Robinson Ewor) had said what he has said here, the same person who sponsored him to go to the failed Ibadan Convention and he constituted Caretaker Committee (CTC), all of them nominated him for the so called CTC. Now the convention had failed, no other place to run to other than ‘On your mandate we stand’, we have taken that decision a long time ago. So, it doesn’t make sense to us. We have done it.

“Ewor had said as a leader, tell people what you discussed when you went for peace pact. You think today you can succeed the second one? Whoever that is assuring that when you shout ‘on your mandate.’ you will get the ticket is deceiving you.”

Speaking further, the FCT Minister said: “Somebody who cannot relate with Council Chairmen, even discuss with the Assembly members, somebody who cannot sit down and discuss with National Assembly members, what kind of leadership do you want to provide?”

Wike also tackled his former loyalists now with Fubara but refused to mention his name for calling him a semi illiterate.

He said “Ordinarily, I won’t have bothered myself to say this, somebody who was a Senator said the Minister of FCT is semi illiterate. But the same person dropped out from Rivers State University when he was reading law, he couldn’t make it. I went to University of Port Harcourt, finished, went to same university that he went, read law, went to law school and came back and today, I am a life bencher.

“That same man contested for chairmanship of Obio/Akpor and failed. He sabotaged his party, and they lost at the tribunal. But I contested and won two times and I can show people what I did as chairman, as Minister of State, Education, before I became the Supervising Minister, and when I came as Governor in 2015, the same person was running around me and was signing contracts.

“For eight years, my records are there even as FCT Minister in Abuja. So, in politics when they cannot do what you are doing, they begin to say all kinds of things, you don’t need to bother yourself.”

Wike described ONELGA as a “no go area” for anyone other than his supporters, stressing that Rivers people were working in unison for Tinubu devoid of party affiliation.

Former Senator Wilson Aki, thanked Wike for the development interventions in the local government during his tenure as governor of the state, saying that “Before you came in as a governor, we never knew there was infrastructure development in Rivers, you made the changes”.

Earlier, Ewor had collapsed his faction into Aaron Chukwemeka- led committee that is being supported by the FCT Minister.

He announced the dissolution of the factional body while making a speech during Wike’s “thank you” visit at ONELGA, yesterday.

Ewor, a former loyalist of Fubara, explained that he left the Governor’s camp because Fubara could not be trusted.

He said President Tinubu mediated twice to resolve the political crisis in Rivers, alleging that Fubara failed to keep the terms of the agreement.

“Today, I am handing over the chairmanship and leadership of my faction to Aaron Chukwemeka – led caretaker committee.

“PDP is no longer factionalised in Rivers. PDP is under one chairman, and under one leadership, that is the leadership of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike,” he said.

According to the PDP chieftain “If the president mediated twice, that means you (Fubara) cannot be trusted. Can such a leader be trusted? We can’t trust him.”

Ewor also dismissed claims by Fubara that Wike was intimidating and frustrating his leadership, stressing that the minister has not done anything to undermine his office.

“Rivers State is bleeding, Rivers people are suffering because they know nothing of what if going on. When you are leader, you have to build your foundation on truth.

“I sincerely from my heart followed Sim believing that our Minister was intimidating him, but it is not true. The Minister does not do anything that undermines the governor’s office or Sim”, he added.