From Victor Edozie, in Port Harcourt
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has said that he is the most insulted politician in the country today after President Bola Tinubu.
He also declared that from January 2026, politics will start in earnest in Rivers State.
Wike stated this during a special thanksgiving service organised by the leader of the South-South Development Commission, Chibudom Nwuche amd his family in Ochiba community, his hometown in Ahoada East local government area of Rivers State on Saturday.
The former Rivers State Governor said he did not renege on any agreement he entered into, adding that he remains unwavering in his support for President Tinubu.
Wike said he used the opportunity of the thanksgiving to thank the people of Ahoda East and Ahoda West LGAs for standing firm with him to support the President.
He stated: “This is the first local government we are coming to say thank you for being there for us all through these years
“You know, like the pastor said today, God detests those who are ungrateful. And so for what you’ve done for us, for standing with us, we say thank you. Thank you, and thank you.
“You remember, in 2023, when it was tough, nobody knows what will happen in that election. Somebody was saying that it will be difficult for Aswaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to win that election.
“So many people were not able to come and vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But we all met, as leaders here, and you, to say in politics, we must take a stand and defend it. That we must take a decision, whether it is good or bad.
“But we know at the end of the day it will be good. But we did it. When it was tough, for people to say, on your mandate we stand. We stood firm and said on your mandate we stand And to the glory of God, we stood.
“And today he is the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He praised the people for standing firm, saying,” So you are the ones who made the mandate to be strong as far as Rivers State is concerned.”
He made a veiled reference to the recent detection of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara from the People’s Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress, suggesting that his support for Tinubu is belated.
“So all these people you are now seeing singing on your mandate we stand, that time, when they were needed most, they couldn’t sing that. They couldn’t come out to say, vote for Ahmed Bola Tinubu
“Now that you stood and voted for him, I tell you, all your struggle will not go in vain. So we have come to tell you to remain strong.
“Nigerians know us. When we take a decision, we have taken a decision. We don’t take decision based on what people have seen.
“We take a decision based on what we are convinced about. We believe that this will happen. You stood firm even when you were not in power. You stood firm even when you were not in council.
You were harassed. You said, no, no despite the harassment, I will still stand where I am. So for us, it will be unfair that we cannot come and tell you, thank you, “Wike stated.
Wike continued, “You know me, I believe in agreement. Anything you know you cannot do, don’t say it, don’t even enter into it. From January next year politics will start.
“Nobody can use us. So let me say yes and agree later. No, I can’t do that.Whatever you have agreed in the morning, it was agreed in the night. So, don’t be worried yourself about who was shouting or your mandate will start. We have shouted when it mattered most.
“If we did not shout it then would they shout now? Would they have shouted now? I have never hidden my position. Nigerians know. And you can attest to it.
“We have never wavered in support of Aswad Bola Tinubu. If you want to know after Bola Tinubu, the next most abused politician is me. Why are they abusing me? Because they know agreement is what?
“When we have agreed on something, let’s implement it. If you cannot implement it, don’t even come to reach it. So for us, we have decided before now, long ago, that we must make sure we continue to support Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
“That is the position you took. And that is the position we are going to continue to take. So on behalf of our team we want to thank you, our foot soldiers who have stood firm in spite of all provocations. “
The FCT Minister further said some politicians in the home front who want to get something from the governor resort to abusing him and casting aspersions at him.
He also said most of the projects commissioned recently by his successor had reached advanced stage and handed over to him in the spirit of continuity
“At the appropriate time, we will talk. This project you commissioned who handed it over to you? We did it because we believe we are a team.
“If we know that we will not be a team, we would not have done it. But we did it, and we have no regrets. I have no regrets
” One thing you should know about Nigerian politics. You know, there is a universal state every time. How you can make money now for a universal state is like that. You go and say, this enough is enough for Wike.
“Who deal with Wike, they drop (dish out money) If you don’t say you will deal with Wike, you won’t get him. I hear we have about N600 billion somewhere.
” So just say we will deal with Wike
The moment you pronounce that word, something will come down, ” the FCT said in a mocking tone.
Earlier, Et. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, who is a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, explained that the people of Ekpeye. Kingdom would continue to support Wike, for the numerous projects he attract d to the area while he was Governor.
He stated, “For the first time, Ekpeye had seven first-class stools. Before now, we only had one. Governors came and left. None of them agreed to elevate our stools. Only him (Wike) did that for us.
“So, I’ve seen people who have used power wrongly. They forget that there’s karma. And that’s why I say Nigerians should be careful in choosing leadership. We know our leaders very well. Ask us about them.
“There are many of them who came into leadership by accident. They have no business being there because they have no human feelings.”
He said people who find themselves in power should use it to elevate the people and better their lots: “Not to oppress them, to break their homes and go. “
“Nobody who follows Wike can say that he hasn’t been impacted on positively. Nobody. That’s why you see, no matter where he goes, we shall go there, ” he said, pointing out that he did many of the roads in the area when he held away as Rivers State Governor.
ENDS
