Chairman of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Godknows Igali, has said former first lady, Patience Jonathan, pleaded with late elder statesman, Edwin Clark, to support Nyesom Wike to become governor of Rivers state.
Igali spoke during a programme on AIT.
According to him, the former first lady rolled on the floor to persuade her husband, former President Goodluck Jonathan, and Clark.
Wike, now the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was elected Rivers state governor in 2015. He was re-elected in 2019 and held this position till May 2023.
On Wednesday, during a media chat, Wike accused the Niger Delta group of visiting Mr Tinubu to seek favour from the president.
Reacting, Igali tackled Wike noting that the delegation included senior traditional rulers, former governors, senators, and ministers.
He said: “We used to organize retreats for new ministers, and one of the things we taught them was the code of ethics — to be ethical, to be decent. Not to behave, dance around, shout at people, and use the wrong words on elders. We are still Africans, for goodness’ sake,” Igali said.
“The minister should be called to order. You see, this has many implications because, first, it sends the wrong message.
“And the people of the Niger Delta — some of the traditional rulers — call me and said, ‘Ambassador Igali, did you take us to the villa to be insulted this way? Do you know that I retired from the army in 1975? Where was that minister?’ I said, ‘Sorry, sir, that was not my intention’.
“So, let us keep talking. Come, let us talk. You are my brother, you are part of PANDEF. You came there to meet PANDEF when you wanted to be governor. You knelt before Chief Edwin Clark. I was in the other room in the house.
“Patience Jonathan rolled on the floor to beg President Jonathan to make you governor. Some of the people — Chief A.K. Horsfall, Alabo Graham-Douglas, who is now late, and the traditional ruler of Etche — were not on board.
“They said, ‘Look, Rivers State has a precarious political situation. We balance politics — riverine, Delta, the Ogonis. We have to go down like that.’ They said no.
“Patience Jonathan said, ‘We want Wike to be governor at all costs.’ But it was the turn of someone from the riverine side. She begged. And she is alive. She rolled on the ground to beg Chief Clark and others on your behalf.”
