Is Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State a drunk? Does he spend a mind-boggling N50 million on alcohol weekly? Should he, as many of his critics have concluded, be banished from politics because of his strong views? Why are so many influential people against him?
Things are starting to heat up again in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Rivers State. Interestingly, the same factor can be identified as responsible for the recent narratives being cooked up against Wike. Alcohol and drunkenness come to mind when one puts two and two together, adding up to Wike, in the books of PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi.
According to Atiku, Wike’s comment about drinking whiskey while he (Atiku) was leading PDP leaders to protest issues with the conduct of the presidential election demonstrates that the Rivers governor is a drunkard. Considering his health, Atiku advised him to stop speaking while his mind is clearly overwhelmed with a strong drink.
Oddly agreeing with Atiku’s comment, Wike’s gubernatorial predecessor, Amaechi, also laid claims regarding Wike’s relationship with the bottle. According to the former Rivers governor, Wike spends N50 million every week on alcohol. As a result, Amaechi stated, Wike is running Rivers state into the ground with his expensive lifestyle.
All of this started with Wike. On Monday, March 6, 2023, while Atiku was protesting the result of the presidential election alongside other PDP leaders, Wike said that he was busy drinking his 40-year-old whiskey with his friends. And while others interpreted that as Wike being unconcerned with Atiku’s actions, the PDP presidential candidate and Amaechi interpreted things differently.
So, has the battle line been redrawn or what? Time will tell.
