Wike Boasts of Restoring Peter Odili’s Political Fortunes
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has claimed credit for reviving the political career of former Rivers State Governor, Peter Odili, who he says was politically sidelined during the tenure of his successor, Rotimi Amaechi.
Speaking at a special thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt on Sunday, Wike responded to criticisms from Odili, who accused him of turning Rivers State into a private estate. Wike, in turn, labeled Odili an ingrate for supporting incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, and described him as a “local man.”
Wike reflected on Odili’s political decline after leaving office in 2007, pointing out that Odili was unable to regain any political power during Amaechi’s governance. He emphasized that it was only when he became governor in 2015 that he was able to “bring him back to life politically.”
“Must you be a trader all the time? As governor for eight years, what else are you looking for? You know, I didn’t want to say anything. But someone called me last night and told me what someone said on social media. I said, until I read it myself. This morning, I read in the newspapers, what our former Governor, Sir Dr. Peter Odili said,” Wike stated, adding, “In 2007 after he left office, he couldn’t come near power in the State because Amaechi was the governor then. He was gone! Like somebody said that God will use someone to lift up someone. When I came in as governor in 2015, I won’t use the word resurrected, but I brought him back to life.”
The statement underlines the ongoing political rivalry and tension between the two former governors of Rivers State, with Wike positioning himself as the political force that restored Odili’s relevance in the state’s politics.
