Wike kicks against Muslim-Muslim national assembly leadership

Former Governor of Rivers State,
Nyesom Wike, says only those who do not like Nigeria will propose a Muslim
Senate President and a Muslim Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Wike, who made the statement
during a media chat with journalists in his home in Port Harcourt on Tuesday,
said though President Bola Tinubu was able to win the election despite
campaigns against his Muslim-Muslim ticket, such a mistake should not be
repeated with the leadership of the National Assembly.

He said such a decision sends the
wrong signal and is an attempt to frustrate the administration of President
Tinubu, as there are already allegations that the Muslim-Muslim ticket was an
agenda to Islamise Nigeria, which is why Tinubu wants to balance the leadership
position across religious lines.

“Only those who do not want the
unity of this country can even have that kind of proposal. If you do that, what
signal are you giving out?

“You are trying to frustrate his
administration because already, there’s been an accusation that why he went to
pick a Muslim, was to run a Muslim agenda, which is not correct.

“It is expected to balance this
thing now, so Nigerians will now see that all these are accusations and rumors
by lazy politicians.

“If you want this country to be
balanced, give hope here, give hope there, and let it not look like we are
running a religious government.

“If anybody loves this
administration, if anybody wants him to succeed, if anybody wants the unity of
this country, you won’t think twice to know that the way it is now, the
speakership is north, you want the Senate President to go to the north, you
can’t say that.”

Wike said the notion that the
leadership of the three arms of government cannot come from the south holds no
water, as it was the same in the administration of former President Muhammadu
Buhari.

Wike also took a swipe at the
immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tamwbual, whom he accused of
manipulating the system to ensure a northern governor emerged as the chairman
of the Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, a position he claimed was
meant for the south.

“You see what PDP did in Bauchi
recently. In our Governor’s Forum, PDP Governor’s Forum, and the Nigeria
Governor’s Forum, if the ruling party becomes the chairman, the opposition
party takes the vice chairman.

“If the chairman is from the
north, and when he finishes his tenure, somebody from the south takes over.

“Tambuwal is leaving office as
the chairman of the of PDP Governor’s Forum, who is from the north, now it
ought to come to the south.

“When you do your manipulation,
and you’re happy you have been manipulated, but you don’t know the consequences
of it tomorrow. Won’t we begin to talk of those consequences?

“They say, oh! He’s doing
anti-party. What is the anti-party? Look at what you did, impunity.

“The chairman of PDP Governor’s
Forum ought to come to the south. Tambuwal hasn’t finished, and he went there,
manipulated the system and gave it to Bala, my friend. I have no problem with
my friend.

“And they know if I were
governor, that wouldn’t have happened. Let the entire heaven come down.

“For Christ’s sake, what is wrong
with people standing by the truth?” Wike said.