Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has firmly stated that he does not owe former Rivers State Governor Peter Odili any apologies.
During a luncheon at his residence in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, on Friday, Wike addressed recent comments he made regarding Odili, asserting that they were not intended as insults but rather a reflection of Odili’s own public statements.
Wike, who previously served as the Governor of Rivers State, clarified that his remarks were meant to remind Odili of his own words. He also accused Odili of encouraging current Governor Siminalayi Fubara to overlook the terms of an eight-point peace agreement established in December 2023 in the presence of President Bola Tinubu, which aimed to address the political tensions in the state.
“Why should I apologize?” Wike questioned. “There’s no law preventing your daughter from benefiting, but as an elder statesman, should you have given what belongs to your nephew to your daughter?”
He argued that while Odili accused others of treating Rivers State like a personal estate, it was actually Odili himself who was doing so, claiming, “You are now the general overseer of this estate.”
Wike maintained that he did not say anything wrong and emphasized that he should not be punished for speaking the truth. He noted that President Tinubu had reached out to the people of Rivers State, indicating a desire for peace, which he felt Odili failed to uphold.
“They said I should apologize. For what?” Wike reiterated. “I merely pointed out that our elder statesman was contradicting himself. If he had denied making those statements, I would have considered an apology, but he did not.”
Wike also accused Odili of placing family members in influential positions while maintaining control over the state’s affairs. His comments followed Odili’s earlier statement that Governor Fubara had prevented one individual from monopolizing power in Rivers State.
In a heated response, Wike urged Odili to stop being a “sycophant and a trader.”
The luncheon was attended by politicians from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including Edo State Governor Monday Okpebolo and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole. A documentary featuring Odili’s past praises of Wike was shown prior to the event’s speeches, setting the tone for the discussions.
