Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Saturday night in Rivers State, rose in public defence of the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, over an admonition offered by the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara, that nothing is worth struggling for in life.
Fubara spoke during the burial ceremony of the late Access Bank Chief Executive Officer, Herbert Wigwe.
Wigwe was interred on Saturday alongside his wife and son. They had all died in a helicopter crash in the US.
No sooner had Fubara rounded off his speech than Akpabio replied the governor.
Read Fubara’s admonition: “This one has to do with our political class. What are all these troubles all about?
“You want to kill, You want to bury, what is it all about?”
But Akpabio, according to media reports, immediately fired back at Fubara’s veiled reference to his fight with Wike over the control of the state.
Akpabio’s attack is dominating the social media with Nigerians accusing him of taking a fight that was never his.
Hear Akpabio: “The struggle, we are not talking politics. In 2006, I wanted to be a Deputy Governor. So the then deputy Governor invited me and told me that this office has no money; there is nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on moving me from here and take over.
“So the woman who went with me, said ‘your excellency, then don’t wait for impeachment, just resign since there’s nothing in it’.
“And he stood up and started punching the woman, and I told him, your excellency, don’t punch her, she’s telling the truth. There’s nothing in the office that’s why I want it, because you’re too big for it.
“So your excellency Governor Fubara, if there’s nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”
The former Minister of the Niger Delta is a known ally of Fubara ‘s predecessor, Nyesom Wike.
Both Fubara and Wike are struggling for control of Rivers politics.
Recall that a few days ago the governor said he could sacrifice his position as governor if that would bring peace to the state.