*Wike, Camp To Reply Soon
By our reporter
The theatre of battles widened for Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, as a South-East governor, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, expressed readiness to confront him and his camp in a ‘war’ for control of the soul of the state in the run-up to the 2027 polls.
Wike, a powerful Minister, had been embroiled in several battles –some simultaneously– against his political godson, Rivers State governor Sim Fubara; his party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during which factions were carved out; Association of Indigenous Contractors of FCT who claim he owes them N5.2b in executed jobs; Gov. Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State; FCT Administration (FCTA) workers’ unions leading to an almost two week-long strike, paralyzing work in the critical Administration; and others.
Beating war drums ahead of the looming showdown, Gov. Nwifuru, who belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), pointedly promised destruction to those seeking to take over the state from his grasp.
The group anchored their bid to take over the state on an alleged instruction from President Bola Tinubu that Ebonyi be handed to Wike’s faction of the opposition PDP to control.
Some members of the faction in the state had reportedly gone round spreading the rumour that Tinubu had ‘given’ the state to Wike, perhaps as reward for the Minister’s loyalty and his known efforts to decimate the opposition.
Apparently aware of the spiralling rumour, an obviously agitated Nwifuru said he is not taking the threat lying low, stressing that he possesses a formidable political machinery to deal with Wike and his loyalists in their alleged desperation to take over the state in 2027.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ rally in Abakaliki, the state capital, Nwifuru declared: “We’ve all it takes to consume, destroy you.
“Some people are going around and saying that they discussed with President Tinubu and that the President has given Ebonyi to PDP.
“They said Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him. And we say to them, ‘eeyaah’!”
Seething, Nwifuru vowed to thwart the move and threatened to deal with Wike or anybody for that matter involved in the alleged plot, warning that Ebonyi is not a portion or item for purchase.
He said: “Now, I want to say this as your governor: We are not afraid. We only hold ourselves because our people are with us.
“Nobody should push us because we have all it takes to consume whoever is trying us; we have all it takes to destroy whoever is trying us.
“We’re sending a message to them directly or indirectly that we’re members of the All Progressives Congress and that’s where Ebonyi people belong.
“And whoever is trying our resolve, the outcome will be very funny for him.”
Wike’s camp or the Minister himself will most likely reply to these threats this week.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Nwifuru (l) and Wike.
