Wike: What I told Buhari when he begged me for Rivers' votes through Akpabio
- Late President Muhammadu Buhari has been said to have approached FCT Minister Nyesom Wike for 25 per cent of Rivers' votes ahead of the 2019 presidential election
- Wike disclosed the development during his media chat on Monday, June 1, adding that the incident happened when he was the governor of Rivers
- The minister said that the late president made the appeal to him through Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was then serving under Buhari
Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has recalled that the Senate president, Godswill Akpabio, once came to Port Harcourt to beg for 25 per cent of the votes for late President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike, while speaking in a media chat on Monday, June 1, explained that the incident happened ahead of the 2019 general elections when Akpabio was serving as the minister of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the late Buhari, and he was the governor of Rivers state, seeking re-election as well.
Source: Twitter
He disclosed that he told Akpabio that Buhari could only get 25 per cent of the votes in Rivers if the results of the election were written by him and that the people would not vote. He added that the only way to win the vote is to get closer to the people, a thing he had been doing.
The minister bragged that he had been closer to the people of Rivers and that had given him an edge in the politics of the South-South state. He also recalled when he was serving as the governor of Rivers State, no opposition governor threatened the federal might as he did.
Nigerians react as Wike speaks on Buhari, Akpabio
However, Wike's revelation has started generating reactions from some Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Ugonna Valentine said Nigerians would soon appreciate Buhari as a democrat:
"Buhari was a Democrat Nigerians refuse to appreciate! With time, after 2027 results... We accept that Buhari may be a terrible President, but he lets opposition and democracy thrive."
Ife Akintunde criticised the minister's media chat:
"This guy using taxpayers' money to conduct media parley almost every month to talk about his political life is the most useless thing any political office holder should be doing without being called out. Shame on all you media houses for always running to grant him an audience."
Source: Twitter
Festus Adejuwon said the minister should not involve the United States in his politics:
"Let Wike stop looking for America's troubles by dragging them to his game of politics because he has nothing to lose but wants trouble for Tinubu. It is better to avoid statements like American marine stuff because if they treat them like Maduro, he will run away and leave Tinubu."
Emiibok recalled that Akpabio was not a minister before the 2019 election:
"So none of these journalists could quickly fact-check him and challenge him to his face that he's lying. Akpabio was never a minister before that time. He was contesting for the Senate after resigning as minority leader. Only became a minister after losing the 2019 elections."
You can see the video of Wike's interview on X here:
Source: Legit.ng
