Again, Wike Tears Sule Lamido Apart

By Gideon Njoku

Like a raging volcano, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike flew back to Nigeria, and immediately, descended on former Jigawa Stats Governor, Sule Lamido.

Wike and  Lamido have literally been at each other’s neck over the wrangling between Atiku Abubakar, Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, since after Atiku beat Wike to a second place, and shunned him as his running mate.

Apparently exasperated by  Wike’s reluctance to toe the Party line, by his threats, and his open romance with Presidential candidates of other Parties, specifically Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, a romance which not a few PDP stakeholders see as anti-party on Wike’s part, Lamido descended on him.

He asked the PDP and Atiku to ignore Wike. He called Wike an Emperor in Rivers State. He told Wike he had no control over the  votes of Rivers electorate. And finally, Lamido reminded Wike that in about eight months time, he would become a former Governor.

In a swift response, Wike told Lamido that he, Lamido, has become politically irrelevant. And reminded him that he was one of the reasons the PDP lost elections in 2015.

True, Lamido was one of the PDP Governors in 2015, who had nothing good to say about then President Goodluck Jonathan and/or his Government in the run-up to the Presidential election. The way he carried on, not a few people had expected Lamido to decamp to the APC at the time with the other PDP six Governors who decamped. He disappointed them by not decamping, but the APC had a landslide victory in Jigawa.

On Thursday, Atiku had appealed to PDP stakeholders to seize fire. He told them to stop the brick-bracks. Without mentioning names, he told them to stop the onslaught against Wike. Atiku obviously had in mind Lamido and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu when he gave the warning.

However, on Friday when Wike arrived from London where his Camp met with Tinubu, Obi (accompanied by former President Olusegun Obasanjo) in the presence of the Camp Wike PDP Governors of Abia (Okezie Ikpeazu), Benue ( Samuel Ortom), Oyo ( Seyi Makinde), Wike could not resist taking another dig at Lamido.

Addressing the Press at the Port Harcourt International Airport, in the company of Ortom and Ikpeazu, both of whom had spoken before him, Wike poked at Lamido.

He refrained from mentioning Lamido by name, but it was obvious who he was referring to.

In very strong words, Wike condemned those who, after being Governors for eight years, nominate their sons to also run for the same seat. He talked about former Governors who nominated their sons to go to the Senate. And he talked about somebody whose educational qualification is only Primary six, but who ended up as Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

Wike:  “Never mind some people who do not believe in the existence of this country. Some people who are just interested in their own. Some people who only know how to produce their own children as Governors or members of the National Assembly. It is only in this part of the world.

“A man finishes to be Governor, and have his own son again to be Governor. This is part of the crisis we are having. It is unfortunate.

These are the kind of people who say they are leaders in this country. What example are they showing as leaders of this country?

“Leadership is not about you  and your family. Leadership is also about everybody.

“Somebody finishes eight years as Governor. Somebody is bringing his own son as Governor. Somebody is bringing his own son to go to the National Assembly. It is only in this part of the world that you see this. We are talking about poverty. These are people who do not mean well for NIgeria; Nigeria cannot move well except with them.

“See, it is a country where somebody with a Primary six certificate will become a Minister of Foreign Affairs. Primary School Certificate becoming a Minister of Foreign Affairs. That tells you how bad this country has become.”

Lamido “seems guilty” of at least two of these.

Even though his educational qualifications is higher than Primary School, not a few eye brows were raised when Obasanjo appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs. Of all the Ministers of Foreign Affairs Nigeria has had, at least, since 1999, he seems the least qualified, educationally. He attended the famous Barewa College ( 1962 -1966) and Government College, Birnin Kudu.

In the upcoming 2023 Govenorship election, Lamido’s son, Alhaji Mustapha Sule-Lamido, is the Governorship candidate of the PDP.

However some people have pointed out that Wike is not quite correct over a son vying for the seat of a Governor after his father. They point out that contrary to his submission, it happens in other parts of the world, even at the Presidential level.

In the United States of America, for example, George W. Bush, became the President after his father, George H.Bush, had been President. George Bush Snr. had also been a Vice President.

And, after George Bush jnr’s two-term tenure, his younger brother,  Jeb, who was a Governor, also aspired to be President, but failed. At l  a point, both George Bush jnr. and  Jeb Bush were State Governors of Texas and Florida, respectively.

It is to be seen if Atiku’s warning to all Parties will prevail. For now, Wike and his camp have not publicly said they would work for Atiku’s victory in the 2023 Presidential election.