The rugged and dogged Governor of Rivers State, Barrister Nyesom Wike, has explained that he has nothing personal against his fellow Ikwerre brother and Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
Responding to a question from YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine on Friday, August 5, 2016, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, and during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Wike insisted that ‘there’s nothing personal’ about their disagreement.
‘We are talking about the state (Rivers) and so, nothing personal. Don’t forget, he (Amaechi) was my boss and we had our good times. But this is politics…
‘It’s the issue of taking Rivers away…That was where we disagreed…Dat one, I no gree…You are holding Lagos, then leave dis one here…’
On the reconciliatory meeting he held with Amaechi and the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside in Abuja recently, he said it was a welcome development. Before adding that ‘I wasn’t even told why I was going to Abuja…That’s why I went alone’.
Wike, a former Local Government Chairman, served as Amaechi’s Chief of Staff during his first term as Rivers State Governor. From there he became a Minister and along the line they fell out. Leading to a bitter political war that culminated into Wike triumphing over his former boss and his preferred successor, Dakuku Peterside.