The All Progressives Congress in Rivers state has denied reports credited to the Peoples Democratic Party in the state that the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, insulted a former governor of the state, Peter Odili and his wife.
Mr. Odili’s wife, Mary, is a justice of the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court in its recent judgment held that Nyesom Wike was validly elected as governor of Rivers state in the 2015 election.
The APC said in a statement on Friday that what PDP described as insult on Odili and his wife was a ‘mere’ quote lifted by Mr. Peterside from a remark allegedly made by Mr. Wike at a church thanksgiving to celebrate his victory against Mr. Peterside at the Supreme Court.
The statement, signed by the Publicity Secretary of APC, Rivers state, Chris Finebone quoted Mr. Wike as having said at the thanksgiving, “Let me thank our former governor, Dr. Peter Odili. He will call me midnight to tell me what to do….he will say ‘go so so place.’ I took all his advice, and here we are today.”
The controversial remark, which sparked a war of words between the APC and PDP in Rivers state, created the impression that Mr. Odili, whose wife is a judge in the Supreme Court, may have facilitated Mr. Wike’s recent victory at the apex court.
The APC statement said, “Peterside did not, for all intents and purposes, insult the former Governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili and his wife, Justice Mary Odili as canvassed in (Rivers PDP chairman) Felix Obuah’s press statement.
“Dakuku Peterside merely quoted the governor and then concluded his reference to the governor’s speech by saying: ‘This shocking confession needs no further explanation except for you and other decent Nigerians to further make your fair conclusions.
“The APC would like to ask Felix Obuah and the PDP: Where lies the insult on Dr. Peter Odili and his wife in the reference Peterside made to Gov. Wike’s public comment?
“Indeed, if anyone indirectly insulted the former governor and his wife, it is Gov. Nyesom Wike because of his unwarranted boasts and dropping of names of the former governor and his wife while holding discussions with his associates.
“Some of these same associates of Gov. Nyesom Wike, in turn, take the names dropped by the Governor to public space with its attendant negative perception.”
The APC asked Mr. Wike to apologise to the former Rivers governor, Mr. Odili and his wife, Mary.
The party said it would continue to hold Mr. Odili and his wife in high esteem, despite their political differences.
