Gov Wike Describes Atiku As Liar, Complains Of Insults By His “Attack Dogs”
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has described the Presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as a liar.
He also complained about the insult rained on him by the Atiku’s “attack dogs,” in the person of the former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, Maina Waziri and others.
“Look at his attack dogs, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, Maina Waziri and others; look at the statement they issued. Look at the abuses they rained on me, I never reacted.”
Governor Wike, who for the first time since the end of the party’s Presidential primary where he lost to Atiku, reacted to issues that arose from the primary, said that he decided not to speak but concentrate on fulfilling his campaign promises to the people in his state, said that he has to now speak to expose all the lies concocted against him by Atiku and his attack dogs.
The governor, who spoke today, July 29 at the Port Harcourt International Airport in Rivers State shortly after he returned from Spain, said: “I told my special adviser on media that I am going to speak on issues. We know in this part of our world, when lies are contorted, it becomes fact.
“I have always believed when the left speaks, allow the right to also speak. We are not getting younger and as days pass, we get older. So, it is important when issues are raised or when speeches are made, one should be able to say this is the part of my story, so that the public knows the truth.
“It is most unfortunate since after our primary I have decided to be quiet, because it is a party I love so much. I never said anything, I decided to go back home and fulfill the promises I made to the people of Rivers State.
“But there comes a time I need to speak and let Nigerians know the actual truth. Having known the truth, whatever they decide to do with it is left for them.
“When the PDP Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar unveiled his running mate, no right thinking person and a lover of this party will say that the speech he made on that day was fair.
“Forget about his hailers, the scavengers and I never reacted to it. I said, no, this party belongs to all of us. Thereafter, Atiku appeared on Arise TV, see the statement he made. So many lies were told and then you said I should not react to some of those issues. That will not be fair.
“Assuming today I am not alive, obviously what he has said will be accepted as the truth. Look at his attack dogs, former governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, former Governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, Maina Waziri and others look at the statement they issued. Look at the abuses they rained on me, I never reacted.
“If a presidential candidate who believes he wants to win the election, and as somebody who contested fiercely with him, I never raised issues. I just kept quiet, minding my business to see how my State can move forward, yet every day his attack dogs continued to attack me.”
Governor Wike said that the reconciliation committee which Atiku claimed to have constituted was a big lie, saying that there is nothing they can’t do.
“Some Senators called me to say that Atiku Abubakar said he sent Bukola Saraki to me. That is not true, that is not fair and that is not correct. I was in Spain, Bukola came to me and said, my brother how do we solve this problem. I said well, were you sent by Atiku Abubakar? He said no. So what do you want me to do? Look at the issues. Bukola said the matter is so serious that he never knew.
“So, Atiku has never forgotten about the scavengers. In fact, some of those around called my friends and said O boy, tell your guy to now make him support us. I have been reduced to that level. I have become a guy.
“So, Atiku Abubakar cannot say that he has sent anybody to me. Forget about those who are running around him trying to get what to eat saying we called Wike’s number, he didn’t pick. I don’t know your phone number and you did not send a text that it is so and so person calling to say please I want to talk to you. Nobody has done that. So, since the 31st of May, not one person has spoken to me.
“After commissioning of the project, I will speak. It doesn’t matter who is involved. I am not a slave and I will never be a slave. I am a free-born citizen of this country. I must be able to state how things are. Whether it suits you or not, I don’t care.”
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and other northern Christian leaders have vowed to resist the Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 general election.
President Muhammadu Buhari has listed Nigeria’s gains from participating in Open Government Partnership (OGP), through joining the transparency body in 2016.
Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja has evolved plans of taking the fight to the identified camps of rampaging terrorists in recent time.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed condolences over the death of Abdulhamid Babatunde, whom he described as “a famous journalist and writer” who served as editor of several newspaper titles, including the defunct, Kaduna-based Democrat.
Chief Judge of Akwa Ibom State, Justice Ekaette Obot has sent a lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, to jail for one month from the courtroom even as he also ordered the arrest of a Premium Times reporter, Saviour Imukudo, over a case of defamation between Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel and a lawyer, Leo Ekpenyong.
As Veteran Editor, My Mentor, Abdulhamid Babatunde Bows Out, By Yusuf Ozi Usman
The death, yesterday, July 27, 2022 in Kaduna, of one of the few veteran editors and thorough-bred journalists of our time, Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde Agaka came as a rude shock and surprise to those of us that have admired his writing prowess and sharp editorial judgment, but it didn’t look surprise to him.
In fact, Abdulhamid Babatunde had always believed strongly that sooner or later, he would return to his maker, especially as he began to see his children growing. As a matter of fact, I had a chance meeting with him in Abuja a couple of years ago after a decade since we parted, and in the course of discussion, he veered into personal issues, asking me about my children, three of whose naming ceremonies he attended back then in Gworon Dutse, in the Kano main municipality. I also, naturally asked after Ahmad, his eldest son, whose naming ceremony I also attended in the early 80’s at No-man’s land in the Sabon Gari area of Kano.
In response, he said: ‘”Ahmad is now a big boy. He is even taller than me now. In fact, when your child grows up to the point where he can conveniently use your shoes or shirts, you should know that your time (death) in this world is just around the corner. We have paid our dues and just waiting for us to return to where we came.”
In fact, when I was employed in 1982 by the New Nigerian newspapers, a Federal Government owned newspapers, founded in Kaduna along with the Federal Radio Corporation by late Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello in the 60’s, I was instantly posted to Kano where Abdulhamid Babatunde held sway as the newspapers State Editor. I was to assist him in the news coverage of the old Kano State, now divided into Kano and Jigawa States.
It was a joyride for the two years I worked under Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was not only a teacher, showing me, as young reporter (just two years in the profession) how to gather news and how to write them, especially the intros, he also became a friend and confidant, to the extent that when he was marrying his wife, an Igbo lady, named Stella, who later changed her name to Salamatu, he involved me fully in the preparations. As at the time they married, Salamatu was actually a lady Journalist too.
Not quite two years after I joined him in Kano, Abdulhamid Babatunde was transferred to the Headquarters in Kaduna, where he eventually became the chairman of the Editorial Board of the newspaper organization. I was left in Kano as acting State Editor. That was the first major parting the two of us had. But we still maintained staccato contacts, either through my visits to the headquarters for one official reason or the other or his few-and-far-between visits to Kano.
Sometime towards the end of 1987, I had a serious issue with the then the military President of Nigeria, General Ibrahim Babangida via a story I wrote about his wife, late Mariam. The story was published in the newspaper. I was locked up for three months at Ilaro prison in Ogun State after being arrested at the Kano International Airport, when the aircraft I traveled in from Saudi Arabia landed. When I was released after several “shouts” by various bodies, including the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the New Nigerian Newspapers management sacked me without giving me an opportunity to explain myself.
It was Abdulhamid Babantunde who, as I reflect in my soon-to-be published autobiography, gave me a word of courage thus: “from what had happened, you should’ve expected that the New Nigerian newspapers would sack you. You know they (the Federal Government) own it hundred percent. Anywhere you would wish to find a job, let me know so that I would render whatever assistance I can.” – (November 30, 1987).
Not quite long after, late Ismaila Isa Funtua invited Abdulhamid Babatunde to help set up a new national newspaper, called The Democrat and made him (Abdulhamid Babatunde) the pioneer Editor of the newspaper, with Gabriel Abutu as an acting Editor of the Weekend version of the newspaper.
After several attempts at securing another job failed, as the officers of the State Security Service (SSS) continued to trail me (secretly) to anywhere I sought an employment, as a way of frustrating me out of the profession, I ran to Abdulhamid Babatunde in Kaduna, who instantly employed me, damning the consequences. He was threatened by the officers of the SSS but he would not bug. He posted me back to Kano as State Editor in 1989.
That was the way of Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde. He was very courageous, dexterous in service and professional all through in the art of journalism and writing. He, indeed, was a prolific writer, so much that he became the power behind all the writings that were attributed to one of the outspoken politicians of our time, late Wada Nas, and many others.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was born on February 26, 1956, joined the service of the New Nigerian newspapers, the pioneer Northern newspaper based in Kaduna, in 1974.
He attended Capital School Kaduna, before proceeding to Barewa College Zaria and Government Secondary School Ilorin.
Abdulhamid Babatunde, in the bid for excellence in Journalism, attended several media trainings, workshops and conferences at home and abroad, and was an alumnus of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos.
The late veteran journalist also held executive positions in the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), where he was a Fellow.
Alhaji Abdulhamid Babatunde, who was once the Secretary of the Jokolo Committee set up by then President Olusegun Obasanjo, in 1999, is survived by four children: Ahmad, Maryam, Halima and Abdulhamid (Jnr).
He is also survived by other siblings, including Malam Ismail Ila Agaka, a former Managing Director of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Ilyasu Baba Agaka, a Director at the Presidency among others.
I would say that I also feel a great sense of loss in view of the positive roles he played in my formative years as journalist. Even after retiring from active practice as he settled for consultancy work, he had kept monitoring my progress in the profession, so much that he virtually married himself to Greenbarge Reporters, an online newspaper I floated in 2012 after I too, voluntarily retired from serving others. He used to sometimes make comments, either commending the news items I featured on the platform or correct some of them.
While, I wait for my turn in the journey to the place we all came from, I wish Abdulhamid Babatunde Allah’s forgiveness of his sins; the ones he committed knowing and others he committed without knowing them; and a peaceful rest in the bosom of the Lord, and eventually, Al-Jannatu Firdausi.
Yusuf Ozi Usman is the Editor-In-Chief of Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and Chief Executive Officer of the Greenbarge Media and Communications Limited based in Abuja, Nigeria.