Nyesom Wike’s nomination as a minister, according to Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, is “compensation” for the former Rivers governor’s part in President Bola Tinubu’s controversial election victory.
In the presidential election, Wike, the governor of Rivers State under the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), supported Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a disagreement with the PDP’s leadership.
About two months after Tinubu was sworn in, the Nigerian president sent the Senate a list of ministerial nominees that included Wike, who hasn’t formally quit the PDP.
The decision has generated controversy, and the PDP has not yet decided what will happen to Wike, but Senator Ogunlewe believes the former governor deserves the nomination.
“It is so easy to decipher. If you are following the development that cumulated in the last election, you would know the role Wike played and you must give him compensation for that role,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
According to him, Wike was not the only one that worked for the success of the APC in the presidential election.
He says people like ex-governor Dave Umahi and Nasir El-Rufai merit nominations based on their antecedents.
Senator Ogunlewe believes someone such as Umahi needs to “replicate” his infrastructural drive in Ebonyi State at the national level.
“Everybody participated actively in the success of the APC, whether you are in opposition or not,” he added.
But Ogunlewe has warned the nominees to not work against the party’s manifesto.
He believes Tinubu “will not allow you [cabinet members] to mess him up” and as such the nominees should gear up for work.
The former minister of works is also optimistic about a smooth screening process on Monday.
Nigerians are eager to see the country fix its issues and such, there’s no time for further delay, he argued.
“The National Assembly has very little to do. The situation of the country does not warrant plenty talk,” the former lawmaker added.
“We are in a hurry to have a cabinet to move on,” Senator Ogunlewe maintained.