FCT Minister Wike lambasts Rivers elders over political crisis with Fubara

Delivering a speeh during a recent thanksgiving ceremony, Wike took aim at the elders for their perceived partisanship, accusing them of disregarding the intervention of President Tinubu in the crisis.

Speaking to the gathered audience, Wike expressed his disappointment with the elders, alleging that they were pursuing self-interests and cautioned against blindly following political narratives without understanding their origins.

"When I was running for governor, I was invited to meet some elders who purportedly wanted to see me. To my surprise, only two people were present, considering themselves as elders over the entire state," Wike stated.

He further revealed that during that meeting, the elders insisted he should not contest the election, a directive he dismissed as a joke. 

"Now they've come back again as elders. Check everyone there, some of them had their sons lose the election. Everybody wants to take their pound of flesh. Even those that I helped make have joined them," Wike asserted.

The FCT Minister also warned against propaganda and expressed dismay that some of the elders he assisted in the past had joined in criticizing him.

He emphasised the importance of playing politics according to the rules and urged politicians to refrain from pursuing personal vendettas.

Addressing concerns about President Tinubu's intervention, Wike said, "You are the ones who said the President should intervene. Now the President has come to bring peace, you said no, claiming he doesn't have the constitutional powers."

He urged everyone to love the state and cautioned against falling prey to misleading propaganda.

Wike dismissed ethnic sentiments, emphasising that all residents of the state, regardless of their background, are equal stakeholders.

"All of us in this state, irrespective of where you come from, know this state belongs to all of us. There is nothing like Ijaw, there is nothing like Ikwerre. All I know is Rivers State," he declared.

In closing, Wike recounted President Tinubu's private counsel on resolving the crisis and expressed his commitment to the peace process, despite the challenges he faced.