From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Amidst ongoing political tensions, former Ebonyi State Governor Dr. Sam Egwu’s hopes for the downfall of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike have been dismissed as wishful thinking fueled by envy.
The Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, issued a scathing response to Egwu’s recent comments, where Egwu stated that “Wike was living on borrowed time as his influence will soon burn out”. Olayinka retorted, “those waiting for Wike’s political downfall will wait forever”.
Olayinka characterised Egwu’s perspective as stemming from deep-seated resentment, asserting that “unlike Egwu who is more like a spoon-fed politician, Wike’s political progress has been owing to personal hardwork, dedication, commitment and most importantly, grace of God”.
He further claimed that Egwu’s remarks were “one laced with the highest dose of envy and bad belle,” suggesting that “someone who mismanaged his political life will always live with the mindset that others will mismanage theirs too”.
Olayinka also addressed the internal strife within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), where a faction of South East leaders threatened to withdraw their support. He defended Wike’s stance, declaring it “illogical for people who could not deliver anything substantial in terms of votes to the PDP in the 2023 elections to be threatening to withdraw their support for the party”.
He then quoted Wike: “the PDP constitution is clear as to who is the National Secretary of the party. His name is Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and anyone saying or doing anything contrary is only interested in the collapse of the party”.
Olayinka didn’t hold back, adding, “it is funny that Dr Sam Egwu, a former Commissioner, two term governor, former minister and Senator that could not deliver anything to the PDP in the 2023 elections is among those threatening the party to either engage in illegalities by appointing someone else to fill a non-vacant position or lose their support”.
Regarding Egwu’s challenge for Wike to reinstate the suspended governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, Olayinka responded: “This type of statement, coming from a former federal lawmaker is to say the least, preposterous. Or how can a former Senator be engaged in such beer parlor talks suggesting that the FCT Minister now exercises the powers of the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the National Assembly?”
Olayinka concluded by stating that “such comment has further exposed Dr Egwu’s mindset as someone living in total regret over the political progress of Wike. But can we stop him from regretting? No, we can’t”.