Ned Nwoko, businessman and former lawmaker, has accused Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, of “embarrassing” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nwoko had earlier called for the expulsion of Wike from the major opposition party.
But reacting, the Rivers government had accused Nwoko of repeatedly attacking Wike because he was stopped from attempting “to fleece the commonwealth of Nigerians to the tune of $418 million over the Paris Club refund to some consultants”.
Responding in a statement, Nwoko accused Wike of instigating crisis in the PDP since he lost the presidential primary to Atiku Abubakar, PDP presidential candidate, and the party’s vice-presidential nomination.
He described Wike as “a sore loser” who has “impoverished Rivers state through wasteful and expensive inordinate ambitions to remain in power”.
“It is unacceptable for Wike to continue to embarrass PDP with crude, unruly and bellicose tendencies, attempting to play God,” Nwoko said.
“Wike is a bad-tempered trouble monger. He should stop his recklessness. Enough of his unguarded statements.
“Why is he crying everywhere because he lost an election? Who made him an indispensable leader? Does he know how PDP evolved? His agitations are not genuine but selfish.
“He spoke dishonesty about the London-Paris club refund. He should be grateful. But for the initiative of Prince Ned Nwoko when Wike was struggling to be a local government chairman, the over 60 billion Naira he collected as Rivers state’s share from the Paris Club refund would not have been possible.”
Nwoko also alleged that Wike mismanaged the Paris Club refund meant for Rivers.
“The Rivers state governor squandered the Paris Club refund that accrued to the state, diverted the entitlements that ought to have been paid the local governments for self gratification,” he added.
“Instead, Wike is gallivanting around the world wasting Rivers state’s money, chasing shadows and in the process, 25 innocent kids died in the state hospital because of lack of electricity in the hospital.
“In a civilised society, Wike should have resigned. Indeed, he would be prosecuted for the deaths of these innocent kids. This is unpardonable criminal negligence, yet a power -hungry governor like Wike is busy looking for another political office to continue pillaging public resources while his people suffer.
“Wike is not fighting for the south. He is greedy. If he was chosen as the VP as he desperately wanted, would he have been complaining that the PDP national chairman, Ayu, should go? Certainly not.
“Those who got into offices through fraudulent politics must be cautious in exercising transient authority.”
