Obaseki Reveals Wike’s Role In His Re-election Victory

Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo state, says he would be an ingrate if he failed to appreciate Nyesom Wike, his Rivers counterpart, the crucial role he played towards the actualisation of his second term bid.

Obaseki expressed his gratitude to Wike when he visited him on Wednesday.

Obaseki said Wike gave him shelter clothed and fed him when the All Progressives Congress (APC) left him out in the cold.

Wike was among the first people that who reached out to Obaseki shortly after the APC screening committee disqualified him from the Edo governorship poll.

He was also believed to have pulled all the stops towards ensuring the governor  emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after joining the party.

The PDP later appointed the Rivers governor as the chairman of its national campaign on the Edo election.

In a statement, Paulinus Nsirim, Rivers commissioner of information, said Obaseki led some political leaders from Edo on a thank-you visit to Wike for supporting his reelection.

The statement quoted the Edo governor as saying it was at the Rivers government house that the strategies that led to his victory were formulated.

“After I was pushed out of my former party, this house was the first place I sought solace. You took me in as a brother, out of the storm, changed my clothes and gave me food to eat,” he said.

“It was in this house, the campaign council met to work out the key strategies that led us to victory. You mobilised people across the country. You moved to Benin, went through the humiliation and attacks. You supported us and we won.

“It will be a sin against God if we do not come to say thank you. Even if the victory we are celebrating is from God. He has used people like you to make it happen.”

Responding, Wike praised him for standing “firm” in the election, saying he could not have supported a “lily-hearted person.”

“Our work would have been difficult if he did not make himself available. I cannot support a lily-hearted person. Governor Obaseki was firm,” he said.

“It is not easy to fight godfatherism. But he has the interest of Edo people at heart. Together, we have conquered it.

I thank you my brother, Obaseki for carrying everybody along in the party.”

He further told Obaseki that his victory was the “sweetest” he has ever witnessed, and urged him to be magnanimous in victory and forgive his opponents.

“Edo people are also looking up to you to forgive everybody. Forgive your political opponents,” he said, adding: “I am happy that today, south-south is under one political party. We can speak with one voice in moving Nigeria forward. This is the sweetest electoral victory I have ever witnessed.”