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 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.
