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WIKE CONDEMNS WALKOUT ON TINUBU’S WIFE, APOLOGIZES
As for me and those who subscribe to my leadership, we condemn in totality yesterday’s show of shame and we apologise to our First Lady for the embarrassing conduct of those few women who do not represent the characters and ideals of the people of Rivers State,” Wike added.
The FCT minister cautioned supporters of the suspended governor to desist from ridiculing the state.
Also, an associate of Wike and leader of the Ikwerre Local Government chapter of the New Associates, Samuel Nwanosike, criticised Fubara for allowing his supporters to continue protests while calling for peace.
“You cannot claim to seek peace and at the same time allow your supporters to abuse people on social media, stage protests with our mothers on the streets, and create unrest.
“He should first call his supporters to order,” Nwanosike said.
The President of the Ijaw National Congress, Prof. Benjamin Okaba, and the media aide to Fubara on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, took a swipe at Wike for accusing the suspended governor of masterminding the walkout.
Reacting to Wike’s apology in a telephone interview with Sunday PUNCH, Okaba said the FCT minister’s statement was unnecessary.
While absolving Fubara of any blame, Okaba lampooned Wike for doing everything to truncate the peace restoration process.
He stated, “From your deepest sincerity, you know that Fubara would never do a thing like that. Yes, he will never do that.
“So, for me, it does all show that Wike is the one who is double-tonguing, looking for every excuse to truncate the restoration process.
“He (Wike) had earlier said that if things were done according to the way he said it, Fubara wouldn’t have been suspended but would have just been thrown out of the place.
“He is still not satisfied with the reconciliatory process that has been considered by many lovers of democracy across this country, and at the national level.”
He referred to a recent incident where some nursing students embarrassed the president’s wife in Delta State, and wondered who orchestrated the song-shaming.
The INC president said the women did not mince words by saying they wanted to see the wife of the president and not the wife of an “illegal” sole administrator.
Okaba said it was important to differentiate the actions of the women and what led to them, rather than double-talking.
“The Rivers State women were very clear. They did not do anything to disrespect the First Lady or the President. On their vest, they said, Mrs Tinubu and Fubara. If they were showing any disrespect to the President’s wife, would they print that kind of vest?
“They said they were deceived into saying that the President’s wife was coming, only for this man’s wife (sole administrator) to come and talk to them. So, they were deceived, and they exercised themselves.
“So, it has nothing to do with Fubara in the first place. Then, secondly, there was no disrespect in any form by the women against the President’s wife.
“The women only expressed their disgust at the evil perpetrated by one sole administrator. He is an illegality, and nobody is afraid of saying so.
“So, if they can say that anywhere, then the wife of the sole administrator wants to come and address who? As what?”
He added, “As far as I’m concerned, they must isolate those issues. The same women who demonstrated against the sole administrator, will you expect them to go and listen to the ‘rubbish’ that will come from his wife? I support what the women did, and I don’t see any confrontation against the Federal Government.”
Omatsogunwa, while answering questions from our correspondent on Saturday, corroborated the views of the INC president.
He said, “Ordinarily, I think I wouldn’t have responded to this because it is like the comment of a man who is looking for favour at all costs, no matter how things are.
“You can recall that in the 2019 election, when women from Ogu and Okrika (both in Rivers State) came together and resisted the Army of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I don’t know if they also resisted the President at that time.
“Or he (Wike) is telling us that the women of Rivers State are not reasonable; they don’t know what they want?”
He, however, said his principal did not mastermind anything as alleged by the FCT minister.
“I want to say that the governor has not sent anybody to embarrass anybody.
“What happened was that they were expecting the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not the wife of Ibas (sole administrator),” he said.
Omatsogunwa also referred to the boycott of the May Day celebration in the state by the organised labour because they did not recognise the sole administrator.
“Instead, they did it in a low key in their respective secretariats, because they don’t recognise Ibas. You don’t force yourself on people for crying out loud.
“So, I don’t think it is right now that we say we want peace that the governor will want to send people to truncate any peace plan
