More facts emerged Monday as to why Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike refused to visit Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki at the Government House when he landed Benin on Thursday, April 14 for consultation ahead of the primary of the presidential People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
A top member of the PDP, Elder Owere Imasogie, the Edo South senatorial leader of the main opposition party who gave reasons for Wike’s action, explained that Governor Obaseki had directed his deputy, Comrade Phillip Shaibu to receive him (Wike) as he was not in town.
Imasogie explained that considering the war of words between the Rivers governor and his Edo State counterpart over Shaibu’s utterances in presence of the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu at a rally in Benin, it was not proper for Wike to meet the Edo deputy governor.
He defended: “It’s not true that Wike snubbed Obaseki. From the information I gathered, Obaseki had instructed Shaibu to receive Wike on the ground that he was not in town. We are aware that it was the deputy governor’s utterances against the PDP which Wike considered to be rude and replied to that led to a war of words between him and Obaseki. It was not proper for Obaseki to tell the same deputy governor to receive Wike during his visit to Benin. If I were Wike, I would have done exactly the same thing.”
The senatorial leader said that the proper thing for Obaseki to have done would have be to shelve his journey and receive Wike in presence of Shaibu so as to reconcile the two men.
Again, Imasogie defended the Rivers governor for also not holding meeting with the party’s delegates at the PDP state secretariat during his tour of Benin, noting that the choice of the late Chairman, Board of Trustees of PDP, Chief Tony Anenih’s palatial residence in uptown Benin was proper.
He said that it was a great honour and deep respect for the legacy of Anenih who is fondly called Leader in PDP circle, adding that even when he (Anenih) was alive, the party used to hold crucial meetings in his residence instead of the secretariat.
He added: “Anenih’s house is as good as the party’s secretariat. Even when leader was alive, we used to hold such crucial meetings in his residence, so I don’t see anything wrong with Wike meeting the party’s delegates in our leader’s house. It means we are still loyal to him.”
