After their meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Sunday, Governor Nyesom Wike has stated that he would be happy should his Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki, join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
There had been pressure on Obaseki to cross over to the PDP and pick its governorship ticket. But Wike, who hosted Obaseki in a private meeting on Sunday, said he would gladly welcome the Edo Governor to the PDP fold.
Speaking with reporters on Monday at the Government House Port-Harcourt, the Governor also blasted the Nigerian Governors Forum(NGF), alleging it has become toothless under APC.
Wike said: “Ordinary, I would not speak on it ( Obaseki’s fate) but the NGF has become a toothless bulldog that can only bark and not bite. It is quite unfortunate that I belong to such a forum. Nobody seems to respect the Governors Forum again because we have given ourselves out”
“Obaseki is a member of the APC, I campaigned against him in 2016 but how can you say a sitting governor is being disqualified because some of his certificates are defective? He was presented by the National Chairman of APC, when he was governor. I was watching a video where Adams Oshiomhole described him as a product of Nigeria’s premier university, who went to the US and came back with a masters degree.”
On the possibility of defecting to the PDP, Wike said: “Yes, he came to see me yesterday; both of us are South-south governors. We sat down and discussed issues, seek opinions and compared notes. He has not said he wants to come to PDP; he is meeting with us and holding discussions to determine, but I will be happy if he comes.”
Wike said it was “quite unfortunate” the treatment meted on Obaseki by the All Progressive Congress leadership, and lamented the perceived acquiescing silence of the NGF and the Progressive Governors Forum.
“If you ask me if I am happy about the way he was disqualified, how can I be happy? How can you disqualify a sitting governor? You asked a Commissioner fo screen a sitting governor and disqualify him.”
“Since 2015 when the APC took over leadership of the Governor’s Forum, everything died; the forum is is not what we used to have. It used to be a powerful forum. The APC has killed it and the forum is now focused on the interests of the ruling party, instead of focusing on good governance and interest of Nigeria and Nigerians.”
“When the IG (Ibrahim Idris) withdrew my security aides and exposed me to danger, the Governors did not say anything. Yari (Abubakar) was the (NGF) President and a member of the APC. I told them that they’re being captured, and today the forum has become a Beggars Forum because they have to beg for everything.”
