Wike incurs wrath of Yoruba group for deriding race, dubbing Obasanjo a failure

A Yoruba group in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has decried derogatory remarks purportedly made by Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike against the race and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The group, Yoruba Sons and Daughters within the PDP, alleged that the governor recently described the Yoruba as inconsequential and people that have no practical political importance in the PDP. They also accused him of dubbing Obasanjo a failure.

This was contained in a statement the group released and signed by its chairman, Dayo Ogunjebe.

The statement is titled, “The Yoruba people: Time for reflection.”

The statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday, read in part, “Our leaders are being mocked. Our symbols of truth and sincerity are now being derided, snubbed, treated with contempt and disowned.
“The irreverent, scandalous, arrogant and most myopic statement of the Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Nyesom Wike, is the crowning of all insults upon our people. Wike, in his most arrogant and selfish swagger, openly derided our people as being inconsequential and of no practical political importance in the PDP.

“This is rather scandalous and very benighted. He even insulted our former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, as a failure. This is an aberration. We at the Congress of Yoruba Sons and Daughters within the PDP fold are outraged, angry, disappointed, very sad and sickened about this very primitive utterance of Governor Wike. We demand an immediate and full apology from Mr. Wike for his gutter language against our people.”

According to Ogunjebe, the Yoruba have worked assiduously for the growth and development of the PDP both in financial and moral terms and therefore do not deserve the alleged comment by Wike.

He added, “The Yoruba people have been selfless, making tremendous sacrifices; consistent and devoted to the growth of our party. But we have been cheated. We have been maligned. The chairmanship position that rightly belongs to us has been taken away. It has been sold to the highest bidder.

READ ALSO: Amaechi insists Jonathan wasted $65bn excess crude fund

“Let Wike and the Yoruba betrayers at home know that we will never play the role of a second fiddle to anyone. We are proud of our heritage. We are proud of our achievements across this nation. We do respect the feelings and the tradition of other people. Surely, we will never sit idle while anyone attacks the collective interest of the Yoruba race.”

The group has therefore called on Wike to urgently render an unreserved apology for “his indecent statement.”

The angry group further said that the PDP failure to allow the Yoruba produce the national chairman of the party means that the PDP has “slowly dwindled into a regional party with Wike swaggering like an overlord.”

 

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now