Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has explained why he would not support Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in next week’s governorship election in Edo State.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Friday, Wike revealed that Godwin Obaseki, the incumbent governor in Edo State, brought Ighodalo to his office to seek his support ahead of the election.
However, the minister said he told them he would not support any candidate in the election because Obaseki did not help him despite risking his life to ensure he secured a second term in office.
Wike expressed surprise that the leadership of the PDP was complaining about Anugbum Onuoha being the Edo resident electoral commissioner (REC) some days before the election.
On Thursday, Tony Aziegbemi, Edo PDP chairman, asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to redeploy Onuoha over ties with Wike.
Aziegbemi expressed a lack of confidence in the REC’s ability to conduct a free and fair election in the state.
The INEC REC had previously served as a special adviser on lands to Wike when he was the governor of Rivers.
He was briefly suspended from the state’s cabinet in 2016 before being reinstated.
“When his governor, Obaseki, came to meet me when I was staying in West County to support Ighodalo, he (referring to Aziegbemi) was not there. They did not know that the REC is my cousin,” he added.
“When Obaseki brought Ighodalo to my house two times to support him, they did not know the REC is my cousin. It is just today that they know that he (Onuoha) is my cousin.
“He was posted to Edo more than one year ago. That is the problem I have with this country.
“I told them (Obaseki and Ighodalo) when they came to see me that I’m not going to support Ighodalo. Neither am I going to support anybody. The one I supported you never helped anything but rather I was insulted.”
“For accusing my first cousin, they have made a mistake. You know why? I was thinking I am strong; you are meeting a rock (Onuoha).
“Even the INEC chairman cannot tell him what to do. He is a stubborn man; he will tell him ‘go to hell with your job’.
“You see the problem with Nigeria. For more than one year, he has been there; they never knew he was Wike’s cousin.”
