Former Abia State Governor and Senator representing Abia North, Orji Uzor Kalu, has said the frosty relationship between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and the Progressive Governors is rooted in Wike’s backing of candidates against sitting governors.
Speaking in a video interview from his home in the United States, Kalu said the governors’ anger is understandable, noting that he too would not want anyone sponsoring candidates against him if he were a governor.
“Some of them are angry because Wike is bringing candidates to run for office against them, and if I’m governor, I would not want anybody to bring anybody to run against me. So, they should fine-tune how we can work and work well,” Kalu said.
The former governor, however, insisted there was no fundamental problem between Wike and the governors, describing the rift as a fight driven by ego.
“I think there is no problem, as I can say, and the President also knows there is no problem. It’s just ego that people are fighting for. Otherwise, all of them are working to present an ego, and I don’t think there should be any problem,” he said.
Kalu stressed that both Wike and the Progressive Governors are vital to the ruling party and warned that internal rancour could hurt the party’s chances in the next election.
“The progressive governors bring a lot of value to our party, and the Rainbow Coalition brings also a lot of value to our party. So, I think the President should intervene and talk to the two parties so that we don’t get caught on our way of the next election. They are very, very vital instruments. Wike is very important to us. The progressive governors are very, very important to us. So, there’s nobody to be left behind. This is a game of numbers, the more the merrier,” he said.
The Senator also dismissed suggestions of a deep rift, noting that Wike and the governors remain close friends and that both sides have much to offer the party.
“Some of them are also friends of Wike. Wike is very close to them, and we’re all close to each other. So, let us come down and walk and win,” he said.
Kalu, who spoke from Washington on the 29th of October, also praised Wike’s performance as FCT Minister, saying he was impressed by the level of development recorded in Abuja under the former Rivers State Governor.
“No matter what you say about Wike, he has worked, and I support him for doing such work very well in Abuja. If you check the level of development he has done in a few years as a minister, I’m very, very impressed,” Kalu said.
He concluded by calling on all parties to “fine-tune the areas of disagreement and areas of belief and non-belief,” adding that both Wike and the governors are working for President Bola Tinubu.
“So, both two parties are all for us. They’re all for President Abdelhamid [Tinubu]. So, we should come together and work together,” he said.
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