JUST IN : Wike, Abe’s Advocates Fight Dirty Over Rivers Ministerial Slot
Advocates of the former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Magnus Abe are at loggerheads over who should be appointed a minister from the state.
While Wike’s loyalist, Tony Okocha, had claimed that Wike delivered the state for President Bola Tinubu in the February poll, Abe’s Kadilo Kabari, said the senator was the first to declare his support for Tinubu and worked for him.
Kabari in a media chat with Journalists on Wednesday in Abuja said, it was unwise for Okocha to de-market other potential candidates because of Wike’s interest.
Kabari, who served as the Director Election Planning and Management, Rivers State Chapter of the Tinubu/ Shettima Independent Campaign Council (ICC), condemned what he called an ‘entitlement mentality’ proposed by Okocha in justifying his claim for Wike to be made a minister
According to him, people from the Ikwerre stock of River State have been in the corridors of power for years when the state is dominated by different ethnic groups that have been marginalised for years.
He stressed that he was not against anybody President Tinubu would appoint, but cautioned Okocha to desist from calling people names because of what he stands to achieve.
Kabari said he is worried over the export of falsehood, ethnocentric bias, bigotry, and greed that has characterised the politics and polity in Rivers state in the race of who becomes a minister from the state.
“We Condemn the entitlement mentality being canvassed in the state in justifying their claim for Wike’s ministerial appointment.
“We are also here to X-ray the politically marginalised state of other ethnicities in Rivers state in view of and current occupation of political positions that negates the principles of fairness, equity, justice and turn by turn.
“We condemn the campaign of calumny against Distinguished Senator Magnus Abe and other political actors while cautioning that pursuits should be personalised with honesty, capacity, merit, truth and fairness as yardsticks”. he said.
He reaffirmed support for President Tinubu and believe in his age-long talent in selective prowess of the best hands in his cabinet which will no doubt prop up great leaders from Rivers state like Abe and many others.
