THE Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, said, on Friday, that his boss would have dealt with Governor Nyesom Wike of River State, and a former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, for what he described as their “combative, truculent, if not at times insulting” disposition towards the Buhari administration, but for the fact that he preferred to play the role of a father.
In an article he published on his website, titled, “Wike Vindicates Buharists”, Adesina noted that Buhari chose to ignore the anti-Buhari tendencies of Wike and Fayose because of his “maturity, and avuncular attitude” to all state governors.
Wike, who is known for his strong anti-APC positions, especially as regards Rivers’ affairs, had recently commended President Buhari for approving a refund of N78.9bn to his state for the repair of federal roads.
The Federal Executive Council had approved a total of N148bn to five states – Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Ondo, and Osun.
Adesina said, “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, had failed the country in diverse ways.
“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. Forsworn ones.”
The Presidential spokesperson added, “There was also the then Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, who had formed a tag team with Wike in the anti-Buhari tendency.
“The President could have dealt with them in many ways, either overtly or covertly, but he let them be. He was a father ready to tolerate his many children, irrespective of their differing idiosyncrasies, propensities and predilections.”
Adesina mocked Wike, who he implied had always attacked the good intentions of the President to visit states, including Rivers, during crisis situations, for extending an invitation to Buhari to visit his state to see what the refund would be used for.
He said, “In January 2018, there had been vicious killings in some parts of the country. States affected were; Benue, Taraba, Plateau, Yobe, Rivers and Zamfara. 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.
“When about 20 people were killed on New Year Day 2018, in Omoku area of the state, and the President wanted to visit, Wike demurred. He said there were killings everyday all over the country, and it meant the President must visit every State on a daily basis.”
According to him, the “circle has turned fully round, and Governor Wike is inviting the President to visit. He says he’s “a President for every State of the Federation and all Nigerians. Wonderful!”
He added, “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. Rivers is by no means a poor state.
“The amount is handsome, no doubt, but the state is oil rich, and can hold her own when it comes to finances. I rather choose to believe that Governor Wike had been playing a curious kind of politics all along, and now, fairness and justice have touched him in a positive way.”
