- Safiu Kehinde
The Chief Press Secretary to the Bayelsa State Government, Daniel Alabrah, has stated that the state governor, Douye Diri, will not join issues with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
NPO reported that Wike had during a media chat on Wednesday faulted the Bayelsa state governor for organizing a south-south zonal meeting over the ongoing crisis in Rivers state.
Wike talked down threats from Ijaw people against the alleged withdrawal plot against Rivers governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
The FCT would then expressed his disappointment with Diri as he recounted how the knelt down before him when introduced to him by the Minsiter Petroleum (State), Heineken Lokpobiri.
Reacting in a statement made available to NPO Reports on Thursday, Alabrah slammed the FCT Minister, labelling his remarks ‘hypocritical tantrum’.
The Bayelsa Chief Press Secretary maintained that Diri will not join issues with Wike over his comment about Ijaw people as he held that the former Rivers governor lacks wisdom.
“Some persons, particularly our Ijaw kinsmen, have asked that the Bayelsa State governor respond to the hypocritical tantrums of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, during his media chat today. But Governor Douye Diri has elected not to.
“The reason is simple: if you join issues with a man lacking wisdom, people might think you are equally foolish.
“Gov. Diri is a refined gentleman that has brought dignity to governance and to his exalted office.
“Well known for his humility, shorn of garrulousness, he is a pride of his people and, indeed, the Ijaw nation.
“So, rather than defend himself or try to respond to Wike’s undignified comments about the Ijaw nation, the Bayelsa governor would leave that to the ethnic group’s socio-cultural bodies to address. The issue is actually not about him but the Ijaw nation.” Alabrah stated.
He further disclosed that Wike’s attack on the Bayelsa governor was as a result of the cancellation of the South-South PDP zonal congress held lasts month in Calabar.
Alabrah alleged that the congress was orchestrated by Wike and its cancellation by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which he thought was spearheaded by Diri, had upset the Minister.
“However, why the attack on the person of Gov. Diri? The reason is not far-fetched. The cantankerous FCT Minister is angry and lacks the maturity to mask it.
“As chairman of the South-South PDP Governors Forum, Senator Diri bust Wike’s bubble.
“He not only spoke openly against the February 22 kangaroo PDP zonal congress held in Calabar, Diri also described it as a sham and a non-event.
“As the chief organiser of that purported congress held in the absence of none of the party’s four governors in the zone, no state chairman and other key stakeholders, Wike sees Diri’s comments as affront.
“For what it is, the Wike congress was the foundation for a well-orchestrated destabilisation plot. If their agenda to empower the opposition will succeed, the PDP has to be destabilised from the zone it has its strongest roots in the country.
“So, Wike is angry that the National Working Committee of the party agreed with Diri and the other governors that the event be rescheduled.
“To him, Diri was the arrowhead of the NWC’s decision that torpedoed his self-serving congress. The Bayelsa governor must therefore be pilloried with false claims.
“To make matters worse for Wike, the party rejected his handpicked zonal Exco and went ahead to constitute a caretaker committee, which will be inaugurated in Abuja tomorrow.
“Gradually, the chicks are coming home to roost for Wike and it is only a matter of time for the hybrid politician’s fate to be sealed, at least within PDP. Time is ticking!” Alabrah wrote.