FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, has finally opened up on the disagreement between him and former Rivers State governor, Peter Odili.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Wike disclosed that he no longer has a smooth relationship with Odili due to some political differences.
Wike was the governor of Rivers State from May 2015 to May 2023 before he was appointed minister by President Bola Tinubu in August of the same year.
At various public functions before now, Wike had described Odili, who was Rivers governor from May 1999 to May 2007, as his political father and leader.
When asked if his relationship with Odili has gone frosty, Wike said, “As it is today, politically we don’t have good relationship. We don’t work [together] today.”
On the rationale for the cold relationship between the two of them, Wike said, “there are some political differences”.
Though the minister did not clearly explain what he meant by “political differences”, the rift between Odili and Wike might not be unconnected to the fallout between Wike and the current governor, Siminalayi Fubara, who is facing impeachment threats by the state House of Assembly.
Recall that Wike had gifted Odili a multimillion naira mansion for his 74th birthday in August 2022.
Speaking at the birthday celebration, Wike said: “There was a time every political class abandoned Dr. Odili. This is a man who gave us everything. Some people called him Mr. Donatus. There was no abuse he did not get. Everybody he tried to help their families, at the end of the day, all betrayed him.
“For us, we have used him as a school and we thank him for making himself available for us to use him to learn so that we won’t be shocked by whatever is going to happen,” he added.
