The group blamed the squabbles between Wike and Obaseki to alleged “disrespect, unguarded, combative and confrontational comments” by the Edo State Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.
A statement by the Coordinator of the group, Abubakar Yewa, which was made available to newsmen in Port Harcourt, yesterday, expressed worry by what they described as “the involvement of interlopers and anti-progressive groups, who have no stake whatsoever, except for their nuisance value and proclivity to offer themselves as agents of destabilisation, destruction and disunity in Nigeria”.
The statement further condemned the position allegedly taken by the Northern Alliance for National Cohesion at a press conference where it blamed Wike for fuelling crisis.
The statement read: “These fractious, willful and intractable groups have nothing to lose from the consequences of their unguarded, infantile and myopic utterances, except the perverse joy they derive from celebrating the whatever negative gains accruing from their contractual intrusion at the expense of the rest of unsuspecting, innocent Nigerians.”
The group described Wike as fearless, bold, determined, courageous and consistent public servant, who has transformed himself into a champion of the Nigerian masses, a voice for the long suffering common man and a true leader of the ordinary citizens.
“In this day and age, when political leadership demands more than opportunistic service to the people, Governor Nyesom Wike, unlike majority of his colleagues, has stood out like a proud, towering colossus, who will not be cowed as he speaks truth to power and calls out those who must be called out, whether in his own constituency, political party or the nation at large.”
“It is rather unfortunate that so many people are only encountering the dynamic Nyesom Wike only now that he is governor, as those of us who know him before now will confirm that he has also been firm, bold, fearless, determined, courageous and prepared. That was how he defeated an incumbent governor and rescued Rivers State from the clutches of those who wanted to set it back.”
