The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has maintained that he owes no apology to former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili, over his recent comments.
Speaking during a luncheon at his residence in Old GRA, Port Harcourt, on Friday, Wike clarified that his remarks were not intended to insult Odili but to remind the public of statements the former governor had made in the past.
Wike, who is also the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, stated that his comments on Sunday merely echoed Odili’s own words.
He further accused Odili of influencing Governor Siminalayi Fubara to disregard the terms of an eight-point peace accord brokered by President Bola Tinubu in December 2023 to resolve Rivers State’s political crisis.
“They said I should apologize; apologize for what?” Wike questioned. “There is no law that says their daughter should not, but I said as an elder statesman, should you have given what belongs to your nephew to your daughter?
“I didn’t abuse anybody. I said our elder statesman was the one telling people the kind of mansion and castle I built for him.
It is not me who said it; it is the man who is supposed to be an elder statesman that said so. You cannot kill me for what I didn’t say,” he added.
Wike accused Odili of positioning his family members in lucrative positions in the state while maintaining control as “the General Overseer.”
He criticized Odili for allegedly failing to honor the peace accord initiated by Tinubu.
The FCT minister also dismissed claims that he had disrespected Odili, asserting that the former governor had not denied making the statements attributed to him.
The luncheon, which featured prominent politicians from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was attended by Edo State Governor Monday Okpebolo and former Edo Governor Adams Oshiomhole, among others.
During the event, a documentary showcasing instances where Odili had publicly praised Wike was played for the audience, followed by goodwill messages from attendees.
The conflict between Wike and Odili escalated on Sunday when Wike accused Odili of hypocrisy during a thanksgiving service.
The FCT minister urged Odili to stop being a “sycophant and a trader” after the former governor accused Wike of attempting to turn Rivers State into his personal estate.
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