“People Are Confused Who  Between Tinubu And Wike Is Nigeria’s President” – Bode George

By Gideon Njoku

“Why is President Tinubu allowing his Minister to rubbish him, to talk after he, the President had spoken, and generally behave as if he is the President and Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and in charge  of everything in Nigeria”? Is there something we don’t know?

An elder statesman and a  chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Bode George, has asked President Bola Tinubu to call his Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike to order.

Chief George spoke in reaction to the unprecedented live parley the Minister for Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, held in Abuja on the dangerous political crisis in Rivers State. He held it hours after President Tinubu met with Leaders in Niger Delta and asked them to go and find a solution to the crisis in Rivers State.

Wike is the immediate past Governor of the State, and is embroiled in a very bitter political fight with his successor and estranged political  godson, Siminalayi Fubara over who really is the Governor, after he, Wike, had served for eight years, and moved on to become a Federal Minister.

In a statement, Chief George said Wike has not only rubbished everything Tinubu tried to do in Rivers State, but that the President has embarrassingly allowed his Minister to lord it over everybody, and talk as if he, (Minister Wike) is the President and Commander-in-

Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. He said that the fact that Wike’s live parley with Journalists was held just hours after the President met with Niger Delta Leaders, not only gave the impression that Wike is more powerful than his boss, but insulting to the office of the President.

Chief George, a retired Navy Commodore, lamented that it has become so bad that not a few Nigerians are now wondering and asking who between Tinubu and Wike is their President.

He warned about the implications of the role that he pointed out Wike is playing in Rivers State while the President looks the other way, and reminded Tinubu of how the crisis in the 1962 crisis which engulfed the First Republic in Ibadan started, as well as the 1983 crisis which started in Ondo.

He described as unthinkable and unacceptable a situation where a Minister would play the type of role Wike is playing in Rivers State, a role capable of consuming the country and bring its economy to its knees, and the country’s President keeps quiet just because of politics. He, also, described as unbelievable, that a Minister would speak the way Wike speaks, and a President keeps quiet and does nothing.

He advised Wike to calm down, especially, because he had never fought a war before. If General Benjamin Adekunle were to be alive, George said, he would have begged him to explain to Wike the horrors of war.

Chief George also appealed to Wike’s wife, Eberechi, a Court of Appeal Judge, to ask her husband to calm down.

George advised Tinubu to call Wike to order before it is too late. He also urged him to invite Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to Abuja and handle the situation the same way he handled the crisis which engulfed the Lagos State House of Assembly.

Following is the full text of Chief Bode George’s statement.

“Wike’s outburst completely rubbished everything Tinubu tried to achieve. Unless the President is not telling us the whole truth because I don’t know why I will be President and a Minister will embarrass my administration that way.

“As a country, Rivers State is the centre of our economic activity and financial strength. What is going on now is not the fastest track to peace. If crisis starts, it will not only affect Wike, it will affect everybody. I am talking as a soldier and a General. Wike is talking too much, saying too many things at the same time which are not necessary. Too verbose. When he was Governor for eight years, did he tolerate opposing views?

“Is it because Governor Fubara is a gentleman that he is trying to rubbish him? He said he helped Fubara to become Governor. Is he saying nobody helped him to become Governor in 2015? Did he drop from the sky? Somebody made him a Council Chairman, Chief of Staff and Minister. Later, somebody helped him to become Governor. Today, somebody helped him to become a Minister (again). So, what exactly is he talking about?

“I watched him, and I am still wondering what exactly Wike is trying to achieve by heating up the polity. The questions I want to ask Tinubu, based on Wike’s rhetorics are: ‘Is Wike the Commander-in

-Chief of the Armed Forces? Is he the Chief Justice of Nigeria or the Chief Judge of Rivers State? Is he the Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly? Does he control all the forces in the State?

“When he talks, he attributes so much imaginary powers to himself to the extent that people are now confused who exactly is in charge between Tinubu and Wike.

“Has Wike fought a war before? What game exactly is Tinubu playing in this Rivers crisis? What exactly is going on?

“I am raising this alarm because history has taught us that you only know the beginning of a crisis. You don’t know where it will end.

“Wike talks as if he controls everybody in Nigeria, including Tinubu. I have never seen anything like this in my life. He is becoming an embarrassment in this Rivers crisis.

“Tinubu saw the dimension the Lagos House of Assembly crisis was going. That was why he quickly invited the Lawmakers to Abuja. This is the time for him to also invite Fubara and Rivers Lawmakers to a meeting immediately.

“What exactly is the essence of that live broadcast he did? To tell Nigerians that he is tough, that he has money, that he controls politics of Rivers State? Which Minister pays for a live broadcast just to prove that he/she is a godfather/godmother in his or her State?

“A few hours before, the President met Niger Delta Leaders in Abuja and told them to find a solution to the crisis. So, with that Media parley, is he telling all of us he is more powerful and knowledgeable than Tinubu? That nobody can control him?

“Why is the President allowing Wike to mess him up this way? What is the meaning of ‘if they (Lawmakers) impeach Fubara, nothing will happen?’ Is Wike God? We fought a civil war. I am a soldier, a General. How I wish General Benjamin Adekunle were to be alive. I would have begged him to tell Wike horrors of war.

“What Wike is doing is completely unnecessary and unacceptable. It is only somebody who doesn’t know what he is doing who will be beating the drum of war. I appeal to his wife, Madam Justice Eberechi Wike to appeal to her husband to please calm down.

“That people of Rivers State are not talking doesn’t mean they don’t know what they are doing. During the Civil war, I know what happened between Bonny and Port Harcourt. Wike should please calm down.

“This is the season of Lent. There is what is called forgiveness. I am advising Wike, like a father to a son, that he should read the masterpiece written by Prof. Chidi Odinnkalu on this matter. There is no way anybody can fault his conclusion.

“If Tinubu can’t talk to him, we have elders in the PDP who will tell Wike the truth and that is exactly what I am doing now.

“The First Republic crisis started like this in Ibadan in 1962. The Second Republic crisis also started like this in the old Ondo State in 1983. I see what is going on in Rivers State as APC game plan to take power by force.

“I am advising Tinubu to call Wike to order immediately because when crisis starts (I pray it does not), the President will not say we did not warn him. A word is enough for the wise. Enough is enough.”