By Nicholas Ojo
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has apologised to a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, adding that he regretted working for the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State in September 2020.
Wike tendered the apology to Oshiomhole at the inauguration of the Rumuepirikom Flyover on Wednesday, saying that “We are now friends, let bygones be bygones,” Wike told a smiling Oshiomhole.
Oshiomhole arrived Port Harcourt on Tuesday night for the commissioning of the Rumueprikom Flyover constructed by the Rivers State Government under the administration of Governor Nyesom Wike.
Wike has intensified his relationship with chieftains of the ruling APC since he fell out with the leadership of his own Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oshiomhole was Edo State governor between 2008 and 2016, and handed over to Obaseki who was then a member of the APC.
The two men, however, fell apart due to intra-party squabbles and Obaseki couldn’t secure APC ticket to return to office in 2020. The ticket was handed to Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Obaseki then moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and consulted with Wike who he paid a couple of visits to in Port Harcourt.
He subsequently got the PDP governorship ticket and defeated Ize-Iyamu who was backed by Oshiomhole and other APC stalwarts including former Lagos State Governor, Bola Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari.
Of late, Obaseki and Wike have been at loggerheads amid the crisis rocking the PDP as the former backed the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar whilst Wike continued to demand the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu as a precondition to support Atiku’s presidential ambition for 2023.
Meanwhile, amid the PDP crisis, Wike had held talks with Tinubu and invited key APC chieftains to commission projects in his state.
Among the ruling party bigwigs who commissioned different projects were Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State; and Senator Aliyu Wammako, former governor of Sokoto State.
