The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he will not apologise to Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, over his relationship with former Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Naija News reports that Wike made the remark on Thursday at his monthly media briefing in Abuja, amid the dispute between Uzodinma and Okorocha over the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Imo West Senatorial District.
The minister dismissed insinuations that he was behind the Federal High Court judgment that recognised Okorocha as winner of the APC primary.
He recalled that before the judgment, Uzodinma had publicly rejected the Rainbow Coalition in Imo, a stance he described as “very uncivilised.”
“So, when that happened, it was credited that it was me, how would it have been me?” Wike asked.
The former Rivers State governor said he could not understand why Uzodinma was uncomfortable with the coalition, which was working for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
“Why is Hope Uzodinma afraid of Rainbow Coalition? What’s the problem?” he queried.
He explained that the coalition was about different groups mobilising their supporters for the same goal.
“You tell your supporters to vote for you, and I tell my supporters to vote for me, and we compound it together,” he said.
Wike maintained that the focus should be on delivering victory for the President, not personal rivalries.
“Your business is to make sure that Mr President wins the election, and I owe you no apologies that Rochas is my friend,” he said.
He noted that Uzodimma also had friends in Rivers State who were his political opponents, but that he had not made it an issue.
“Would I go and kill him? No,” Wike said.
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