Wike Deals Buhari, Peterside Dirty Blow Over Leaked Audio Tapes

Wike, Peterside in war of words over leaked audio tapes

He noted that Wike would face a Herculean task trying to distance himself from the tapes, including the one he was alleged to be speaking with Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state.

Peterside, who is now the director-general of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, also criticised Wike’s administration over the passing into law of the 2017 budget within 48 hours after it was proposed to the state House Assembly.

He said: “It is a big embarrassment to our state that a governor or anybody who occupies the office of the governor can be associated with the two leaked audio tapes. Governor Wike has a Herculean task to prove that those tapes are not his voice and do not represent his value system.

“If indeed it is proven that the tapes represent what Governor Wike said and his value system, then it is a big embarrassment to our state and he does not deserve to occupy the office of the governor.”

He added: “It is ridiculing the office of the Rivers state governor. It is ridiculing the Rivers House of Assembly and nothing can be more uncharitable than what Wike, working collaboratively with the Rivers House of Assembly, did.

“This is the same Wike who abandoned the world-class primary schools that were built by the previous administration of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Today, the schools are overgrown by weeds.”

But in a swift response, Governor Wike said Peterside had the tendency of being wrong anytime he (Peterside) spoke, The Punch reports.

Wike who spoke through the Rivers state Commissioner for Information, Dr. Austin Tam-George, said: “The criminal antics of the APC may seem like entertainment to some people. But we are losing our country to a shameless gaggle of schizophrenic dictators who would rather spend all day snooping around other people’s phones, rather than think of how to get the country out of a crushing recession.

“As the details of the 2017 budget shows, Governor Wike is pursuing an aggressive development agenda, with 70% of the budget dedicated to capital projects. Critical sectors like roads, health, education and empowerment have the biggest share of budgetary allocations.

“I suspect that Peterside knows more about his numerous fashionable hats than about budgets and serious matters of governance.”

Last week, the media went agog with and audio conversation between the Ekiti state governor and his Rivers state counterpart over the Rivers rerun election.

In the audio leak, Fayode was allegedly heard, hailing Wike for his boldness and confrontations with security operatives.

While, any of the governors is yet to deny the conversation, Wike has accused the Department of State Services of such act.

The leaked audio tape came just weeks after Wike was allegedly caught arranging payment to officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in another telephone conversation.

When informed that one of the officials was reluctant to sign of the result sheets, Wike reportedly