The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike on Thursday took a jab at Senator Aminu Tambuwal over his comment that when it comes to issue of leadership, he would rather throw his weight behind former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar than the former Rivers State governor.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Tambuwal, former Sokoto State governor and chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Governors’ Forum, had in an interview on Channels Television programme, Politics Today penultimate Friday, explained that his political choices are guided strictly by principles of leadership and not personal relationships.
Tambuwal, the senator representing Sokoto South at the National Assembly, was reacting to alleged betrayal of Wike believed to be his friend and political ally who had stood by him at critical moments, during the PDP national convention when he not only pulled out of the primary but announced that his supporters should align with Atiku, whom he described as his “senior brother”.
Tambuwal had stated during the interview that “When it comes to leadership of this country and leadership of the people, tomorrow, not even today, I would rather support Atiku than Nyesom Wike”.
He however posited that on the basis of personal relationship, “If Atiku comes in here and Wike requests my phone, I will give it to him as a personal friend”.
But in his right of reply on Thursday, Wike literally took Tambuwal to the cleaners, comparing him to an empty snail shell, and describing him and Atiku as “consistent betrayers”.
According to him, “These are people who have been consistently inconsistent. You know when you are a consistent betrayer, what do you expect? Birds of the same feather flock together. There’s no way Aminu will not go along with Atiku knowing fully well their antecedents. What does he know about leadership?”
Faulting Tambuwal’s perception of his leadership quality, the former Rivers State governor who worked against his party to deliver the votes to President Bola Tinubu in 2023, boasted of his achievements during the general elections in his state.
“I said I was going to support Asiwaju. Is it not correct? I did. Did he win or not? Did I not produce the governor? Did I not produce the National Assembly? Did I not produce the House of Assembly? Come on, what are we talking about?
“Have you picked snails before? I don’t know where you come from. Well, those of us who are from the Niger Delta, you know, from the family, they tell you, go and pick snails.
“When you see a shell of a snail, you think there is a snail there. When you get there, you look at it, the snail is no longer there; it’s only an empty shell. That’s Tambuwal.
Asked what he meant by that, Wike said, “You don’t know? I say you think that you are dealing with a human being”.
Querying Tambuwal’s judgement, Wike said, “Take for example, what is the leadership of Atiku that he is saying? You will remember in Obasanjo’s book, My Watch, he said, and I quote him, not me saying it, that when he was running for president of this country, and for him to appoint a vice-presidential candidate, he made a mistake which was an honest mistake, and he thanked God that God forgave him.
“That’s your principal. He went further that Atiku is not a man that can be trusted. He cannot stand for truth. His penchant for corruption. Your boss gave you a testimonial. Obasanjo gave the testimony of his subordinate. So, when Tambuwal is talking about leadership, what leadership? I have shown leadership; I have said look, you cannot do this. If you do this, you pay for it. I have come out to say I am not going to support you because it’s wrong”.
Wike alleged that Tambuwal had an agreement with Atiku that if he became the candidate, he would head his campaign and if he emerged president, he would be made the senate president.
The FCT minister, who said he had no regret for causing his party’s defeat, and that indeed he was very happy, boasted that in 2027, he would stop Atiku again from realising his presidential ambition.
“Have you picked snails before? I don’t know where you come from. Well, those of us who are from the Niger Delta, you know, from the family, they tell you go and pick snails.
“When you see a shell of a snail, you think there is a snail there. When you get there, you look at it, the snail is no longer there; it’s only a Why not? These are people who have been consistently inconsistent. You know when you are a consistent betrayer, what do you expect? Birds of the same feather flock together. There’s no way Aminu will not go along with Atiku knowing fully well their antecedents.
What does he know about leadership?
n empty shell. That’s Tambuwal.
Asked what he meant by that, Wike said, “You don’t know? I say you think that you are dealing with a human being”. Asked if he was being fair to his friend, he said “it’s not about being fair. What I am saying is it correct or not?
I’ve told you here. We lead him to be chairman of PDP Governors’ Forum. Tambuwal cannot talk about leadership. What is leadership?
Take for example, what is the leadership of Atiku is he saying? You will remember in Obasanjo’s book, My Watch, he said, and I quote him, not me saying that when he was running for president of this country, and for him to appoint a vice-presidential candidate, he made a mistake which was an honest mistake and he thank God that God forgave him. That’s your principal. He went further that Atiku is not a man that can be trusted. He cannot stand for truth. His penchant for corruption.
Your boss gave you a testimonial. Obasanjo gave the testimony of his subordinate, so, when Tambuwal is talking about leadership, what leadership? I have shown leadership; I have said look, you cannot do this. If you do this, you pay for it. I have come out to say I am not going to support you because it’s wrong…..