By Ibrahim Bakare
Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo has fired back at Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers, describing Wike as garrulous and a Mr, Know All.
The two neighbouring governors began throwing mud at each other over the sponsor of the aborted plot to remove Adams Oshiomhole as chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
Uzodinma first pointed fingers at Wike.
“Many of us, leaders of the party, are aware that those clamouring for the chairman’s removal are working with the PDP to destabilise the party,” Uzodinma told reporters on Saturday.
But in an interview at the Government House Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Wike said the comments credited to Senator Hope Uzodinma were baseless, untrue and unfortunate.
“It is unfortunate that people of questionable character are in Government. Hope Uzodinma cannot talk about the attempted removal of APC National Chairman and mention the PDP. What is our business in the attempted removal of Oshiomhole? “
“If Senator Uzodinma dares to make such false comments again about the PDP, we will tell the world about him. That he fraudulently took the mandate of PDP does not mean that PDP is weak. Hope Uzodinma lacks the capacity to discuss the PDP,” Wike said.
On Wednesday night, Uzodinma fired back, through his press secretary, Oguwike Nwachuku, calling Wike ‘garrulous and Mr. Know All”.
Uzodinma said he has no regret in linking Oshiomhole’s predicament to Wike.
Uzodinma also advised the Rivers State Governor to be mindful of his unguarded utterances, claiming the way he talks depicts who he really is.
“Governor Wike arrogates to himself the strength he does not have going by the way he talks.
“There is no better way to pin Governor Wike down to the recent crisis rocking the APC and its national chairman than the careless way he spoke against Governor Uzodinma who obviously was echoeing what many already know about Wike and his type of politics,” Uzodinma stated.
Uzodinma also accused Wike of destroying PDP with his utterances.
“Is it not unfortunate that Governor Wike pretends to have a court injunction on how to speak carelessly, the reason many erstwhile members of the PDP, including the founding members, abandoned the party which is about to collapse on Wike’s head.
“Rather than engage in some kind of introspection on what went wrong with his party, Governor Wike thinks that trivialising serious issues of national and international importance will bring accolades his way.
“If Governor Wike did not have a hand in the Oshiomhole saga, why insult innocent Governor Uzodinma whose only crime was that he brought Wike’s mischievious tendencies to the fore for everyone to see.
“Governor Wike pretends to love the judiciary more than anyone else, but the truth is that every opportunity he gets to stand the judiciary on its head he does so with relish.
“Mr. Governor, your interest in the attempted removal of the national Chairman of the APC is legion and you know it. Unlike most of you, Governor Uzodinma does not talk much and when he does it is not frivolous. Stop pretending because that has been the lot of characters like you that did the PDP in and ready to bury it finally.
“Governor Uzodinma has an idea why you are badly hurt. You have the right to be hurt anyway. However, because you are ‘Mr. Know All’ you still cannot imagine how Governor Uzodinma has reduced yourself acclaimed political “wisdom” to ignorance.
In contrast to what Wike said about Uzodinma on the Supreme Court judgement, the Imo governor said he believes strongly in the judiciary.
“Governor Uzodinma believes in the rule of law like the APC, and has not hidden his respect for the judiciary as a critical organ for national development and survival of Nigeria’s democracy.
“If Governor Uzodinma were to be you, he would not have followed through all the processes he painstakingly adopted to emerge the governor of Imo State on 14 January 2020, and reaffirmed governor on March 3, 2020 after you worked so hard to truncate the judgment of the Supreme Court.
“But unfortunately, you have continued to denigrate the Supreme Court that adjudicated over Governor Uzodinma’s case by carelessly and arrogantly describing the ruling of the apex court as synonymous with fraud. I do hope you know the implications?
“By saying that Governor Uzodinma’s APC is not a political party, and that it is an assemblage of strange bed fellows, you have not said anything new from what you have been saying since 2015 the PDP lost power, but one would have thought that the narrative would have changed in 2019, yet, your party lost. Is it not time you changed strategy on what you have been saying for nearly five years now.
“Make no mistake about it, there is nothing in your kitty you are threatening to tell the world about Governor Uzodinma for stating the obvious about your party that can be worse than what they know about you and your party,” Uzodinma claimed.
