Ngozi Obiachu, Umuahia
Elder statesman and the Chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has said that he would not join issues with the former Rivers’ Governor and the incumbent Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, over his (Wike’s) “denigrating remarks” against him.
The former Senate President was reacting to a recent outburst by Wike that if Wabara were to be his father, he would have disowned him.
Wike had during a television interview said: “It’s unfortunate they have a man they said is a former Senate President. If that man was my father, I would have disowned him. If he was my father or related to me, I would have disowned him. He doesn’t qualify to be. No wonder President Obasanjo made a presidential broadcast under his tenure about corruption. That’s the man leading PDP BoT.”
Wabara said he would not belittle the office he once occupied as former Senate President by joining issues with folks who have no respect for elders.
He, however, said that he had expected Wike, as a former Governor, to be more guarded in his utterances.
According to him, it is disgraceful for a supposed man of honour to speak without decorum.
The former Senate President added that maturity is not measured by making vituperative remarks.
On the corruption allusion made by the FCT Minister, Senator Wabara said he had no baggage whatsoever.
He said: “I will expect a man of his calibre and status to mind his language and words. He should be sure of his facts. But I don’t want to join issues with Wike and dignify him.
“Frankly for a son to disown his father, his father must have wronged him terribly. Can Wike please tell the world what it is I did wrong to him?
“Talking about corruption, Nigerians know those who are corrupt, and I can proudly say and beat my chest that I’m not one of them. I, Adolphus Wabara, I’m not corrupt! I won’t be joining issues with people who have no respect for elders.”
Senator Wabara and other members of the PDP BoT, had vehemently opposed the attempts by the embattled pro-Wike lawmakers in the Rivers House of Assembly to impeach Gov. Siminalayi Fubara.
