FEMI Adesina, spokesperson to President Muhammadu Buhari, has revealed why the president did not respond to rude comments and insults to his person by Nyesom Wike, Governor of Rivers State and Ayodele Fayose, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State.
In an article, titled “Wike vindicates Buharists” Adesina said President Buhari decided to ignore caustic comments from the opposition party chieftains and act as a father of the nation.
“The President could have dealt with them in many ways, either overtly or covertly, if not for the maturity, and the avuncular attitude of President Buhari to all state governors, it would have been easy for one to conclude that he and Wike were enemies. Sworn ones,” Adesina wrote.
He attributed the gesture to the president’s resolve to be democratic in his leadership style rather than respond to their “anti-Buhari” stance to his policy initiatives.
Adesina stated Fayose had formed a tag team with Wike in the anti-Buhari tendencies.
Reacting to Wike’s invitation to the president to Rivers State following the approval of the refund of N148 billion to five states in the country for the repair of federal roads, the presidential spokesperson said the circle had changed considering the governor’s stance before the approval of the release of the refund.
He noted that Wike had always criticised every move of President Buhari prior to this development.
Rivers State got a total of N78.9 billion out of the N148 billion approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), as refund of to five states in the country for the repair of Federal roads.
“The Wike we knew was either usually crying wolf where there was none, alleging that the Federal Government wanted to kill him, or claiming that he was not answerable to the central government at Abuja in any way.
“Or even pontificating that the President and his political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), had failed the country in diverse ways,” Adesina said.
“In January 2018, there had been vicious killings in some parts of the country and when the President decided to embark on sympathy and solidarity visits to the states. All the Governors were receptive, except Wike, who said the visit was a smokescreen, meant to revive the dying APC in Rivers State,” he added.
He stated that President Buhari’s decision was based on what was right irrespective of personal inclinations, despite Wike’s combative approach to his policies.
“Some people say it is N78.9 billion that is working, and the Governor is clearly inebriated by that windfall. But I don’t think so,” he said.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.