Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has condemned in strong terms the recent verbal attack by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, against former Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili.
Wike, during a thanksgiving service organized by factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, in Port Harcourt, had labelled Odili an ‘ingrate’ and a ‘rent seeker’ for allegedly siding with Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Reacting to the incident in a statement issued in Abuja, Frank described Wike’s outburst as an exhibition of betrayal and a lack of respect for political benefactors.
Frank, who is also the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, accused Wike of having a history of turning against allies after benefiting from their support.
He recalled how Wike allegedly betrayed former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Patience, despite their role in his rise to political prominence.
Frank also cited similar incidents involving ex-Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi, accusing Wike of political backstabbing after receiving patronage from him.
“In 2023, Wike formed an unholy alliance against his party the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and ensured they lost the presidency,” Frank stated. “He continues to orchestrate crises within the PDP to weaken it ahead of 2027.”
Frank further warned President Bola Tinubu to be cautious of Wike, accusing the FCT Minister of positioning himself as a presidential contender through his recent development projects in the nation’s capital.
“For Wike, loyalty to relationships is a foreign concept. If he cannot control a situation, he seeks to destroy it,” Frank added.
He urged Tinubu to remain vigilant to avoid falling victim to Wike’s alleged pattern of betrayal.
“What better evidence of treachery do we need from a man who is both a member of PDP and minister in an APC’s administration.
“This is why I have kept warning President Bola Tinubu to beware of Wike as we approach 2027. Wike, like Brutus in Julius Caesar, often baits his allies with pretenses and subterfuge only to strike them down with fury when they needed him most. He has no respect for elders nor the hands that feed him.
“For Wike, fidelity to political relationships is anathema. If he is not the one in charge, no other person should be.
“Besides, no one is fooled. All his shenanigans and braggadocio of completing and commissioning projects in the FCT are arsenals he is piling up to confront Tinubu in 2027 by portraying himself as a better presidential option, and this shall become manifest as the days unfold.”
He called on Tinubu to be wary and careful of his relationship with Wike, in order not to be his next victim.
