Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has apologised to the former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, for working against the emergence of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Osagie Ize-Iyamu as governor of Edo State in 2020.
“I use this opportunity to apologise to you. I came to Edo State to make sure that your candidate did not win the election,” Mr Wike said in his remarks shortly before introducing Mr Oshiomhole to commission a flyover in the state.
Mr Wike was the head of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council which worked for the success of the second term election of Governor Godwin Obaseki who joined the PDP shortly before the party primary in Edo.
Mr Obaseki, who succeeded Mr Oshiomhole as the governor of the Edo State, was first elected on the platform of the APC in 2016, but fell out with his then political godfather, Mr Oshiomhole, who was the APC national chairman then.
Because of the rift between Messrs Obaseki and Oshiomhole, the APC denied Mr Obaseki a return ticket in 2020, forcing the governor to defect to the PDP, where he picked the governorship ticket and eventually won election for a second term.
Mr Wike led the PDP campaign for Mr Obaseki’s reelection. Both men later fell out with each other over some political differences.
Addressing party supporters in Port Harcourt during the commissioning of the eighth flyover built by his administration, Mr Wike apologised to Mr Oshiomhole.
“I was virtually in charge and coming out on television to take you on and I said you would not win and you didn’t win. That assignment has been done, but we now know who is who. I sincerely apologise to you.
“I want to tell my people I sincerely apologised to you,” Governor Wike said.
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