Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has lambasted a former Governor of Niger State, Dr. Babangida Aliyu, describing him as a serial blackmailer.
Wike stated this while reacting to an interview Aliyu granted some news media where he accused the Rivers governor of trying to play a godfather and a dictator in the PDP.
Speaking in Government House, Port Harcourt, on Monday Wike said the former Niger state governor is a mole and liability in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He recalled that Aliyu once admitted that he and other former northern governors worked against the interest of the party in the 2015 presidential election.
Wike said some of the former northern governors such as Jonah Jang of Plateau State and Sule Lamido of Jigawa State quickly absolved themselves from the betrayal of Aliyu.
“There is no political dictator in Rivers State as far as PDP is concerned. That is why if there is any state the PDP is sure of winning any day any time in this country, I am sure you all know that it is Rivers State.
“That is not the case of Niger state. You saw the reply of the former President to him. He is a rabble-rouser and a perpetual blackmailer. He is a chronic liar and a serial betrayer,” he said.
Wike said while he had led the PDP to victory in many elections in Rivers despite federal might, Aliyu had serially lost all the elections PDP contested in his Niger State.
According to him, the Niger ex-governor lacked the capacity to lead the PDP to victory in his state because of his alleged woeful performance in the state and challenged him to point at his legacy projects throughout the period he governed Niger.
The Rivers Governor said Aliyu, despite his academic background misquoted his statement during the buildup to the election in Edo State when he said that some NWC members were tax collectors.
Wike said: “I said some NWC members are tax collectors, I didn’t say NWC members are tax collectors. I stand by my words.”
He stated that Babangida Aliyu was angry because he (Wike) refused to invite him to inaugurate projects adding that the former governor was not qualified for such invitations.
