Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has rebuked former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, accusing him of reducing himself to a “trader and sycophant.”
Speaking at a Special Thanksgiving Service organized by Rivers State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule, Wike expressed disappointment in Odili’s conduct, which he deemed unbecoming of an elder statesman.
The event, held at the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) in Port Harcourt, provided a platform for Wike to respond to recent comments made by Odili.
Wike questioned Odili’s intentions, saying, “Must you be a trader all the time? As governor for eight years, what else are you looking for?”
The Minister recounted how he had previously supported Odili, claiming he revitalized the elder statesman’s political relevance after his tenure.
He said, “All of us know about PAMO University. But for us, there wouldn’t have been anything called PAMO University. Rivers State was sponsoring 100 students per session, and for every semester, each of the students was paying nothing less than N5m. Then, Rivers people were attacking me up and down.”
Wike criticized Odili’s alleged sycophancy toward the current Rivers State governor, highlighting what he saw as inconsistency in Odili’s statements.
“When I was governor, this same Odili praised me to high heaven. In fact, he said then that all past governors in Rivers State combined did not do better than me,” he recalled.
The FCT Minister also lambasted Odili for his perceived lack of political courage, referencing Odili’s decision not to contest for the presidency years ago.
Wike said, “This is a man who wanted to run for president then, he didn’t have the balls, he chickened out. Simply because Obasanjo said no, he will not contest, he ran away.”
Wike ended by advising Odili to maintain dignity befitting an elder statesman, saying, “You see, if your children begin to ask you, is this not the same man you were praising before? What would you tell them?”
The Minister made it clear that he was focused on his duties in Abuja, asserting that no amount of sycophancy would undermine his legacy.
