LAWYER TASKS UZODINMA OVER COMMENTS ON WIKE, TINUBU

The Governor of Imo State and Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has come under criticism over his alleged uncomplimentary comments against President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike.

While reacting to a recent media briefing by the APC Governors’ Forum on his Facebook platform, a lawyer and human rights activist, Mr Princewill Dike, said Senator Uzodinma, at the briefing, read a communique in which the Forum resolved that its members would not participate in, support or endorse any political alliance capable of undermining President Tinubu’s re-election, weakening the APC or adversely affecting any candidate of the party at any level.

According to him, the position of the governors further indicated that the Forum would not support any candidate who was not sponsored by the APC, adding that the governors’ campaign commitment was exclusively to APC candidates and that no arrangement capable of creating divided loyalty or conflicting interests within the party would be entertained.

Reacting to the development, Mr Dike asked why Senator Uzodinma was allegedly becoming “jittery” about Chief Wike, whom he described as a politician doing a good job for President Tinubu, particularly through infrastructural development in Abuja and his political influence across the country.

The public affairs commentator identified what he described as “jealousy” as one of the reasons for Senator Uzodinma’s alleged apprehension, quoting William Shakespeare’s Othello to illustrate his argument that jealousy could influence political conduct.

Mr Dike argued that Chief Wike had demonstrated considerable electoral value and political capacity, pointing to the 2023 presidential election results in Rivers and Imo states, where he said President Tinubu recorded 231,591 votes in Rivers State, compared to 1,647 votes in Imo State.

He attributed the Rivers result to what he described as Chief Wike’s “Rainbow Coalition”, arguing that any suggestion that such a political structure could undermine President Tinubu’s re-election was difficult to reconcile with the electoral figures recorded in the state.

Mr Dike also questioned Senator Uzodinma’s electoral strength, recalling that the Imo State governor placed fourth in the 2019 governorship election before subsequently emerging victorious through the Supreme Court, and argued that Chief Wike’s political influence should not be viewed as a threat to the APC or the President.

The lawyer further identified “threat” as another factor allegedly responsible for Senator Uzodinma’s concerns, claiming that the FCT Minister’s demonstrated political capacity had enhanced his influence around the Presidency and created the perception that the President could rely on Chief Wike beyond the APC Governors’ Forum.

He, however, advised Senator Uzodinma to concentrate on increasing his own political capacity rather than expending energy on Chief Wike, whom he described as a “political wonder boy” of Rivers State, stressing that political influence should be built through performance and electoral value.

Mr Dike maintained that the APC and its leaders should focus on governance, development and strategies capable of securing the confidence of Nigerians, rather than allowing internal political calculations and rivalry to distract them from the administration’s responsibilities to the people.

By: King Onunwor