Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has revealed how he successfully edged a former governor of the state and the current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, from the state’s politics. Wike made the assertion in a statement on Saturday while receiving honorary doctorate degrees along with former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, from PAMO University of Medical Sciences, PUMS, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Wike noted that the former governor, under whose government he served as Chief of Staff, did everything he could but failed to truncate his political career.
“Midway into his first tenure, I got the signal early enough that I have become a foe and pencilled down to be politically brought down, extinguished, or terminated.”
Wike explained that although his predecessor had reluctantly included his name among those nominated to former President Goodluck Jonathan to be appointed minister, he was never his first or preferred choice. “He, therefore, worked twice as hard behind the scene to truncate my confirmation by the Nigerian Senate but failed because God said otherwise. “Moving forward and when he noticed my ambition to succeed him as the governor of Rivers State, he immediately drew the battle line and vowed that I could only succeed him over his dead body. “Our contest was as intense and jugular as typical political enemies.
Ultimately, I won and prevailed over him. But, he acted coward by Tinubu refusing to commit the suicide he had promised if I became the governor of Rivers State. Thank God he chickened out and did not die.”