Wike warns Okpebholo against probing Obaseki, urges focus on Edo’s development despite past betrayals and mounting pressure from political allies like Oshiomhole
Wike warns Okpebholo against launching a probe into the administration of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki, stressing that such action would distract from urgent governance needs in Edo State.
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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, made this known on Sunday, urging Governor Monday Okpebholo to prioritise state development over political vendettas.
This caution follows public pressure from former governor Adams Oshiomhole, who advised Okpebholo to revisit Obaseki’s financial records, particularly concerning a controversial hotel project and inflated infrastructure contracts.
Obaseki and Oshiomhole, once political allies, became estranged during Obaseki’s bid for a second term in 2020.
At the time, Oshiomhole, then national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, vowed to work against Obaseki’s re-election.
Obaseki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party and, with Wike’s support, secured re-election—only for the two to later fall out.
At a celebration following a Supreme Court victory validating Okpebholo’s governorship, Oshiomhole urged a thorough investigation into the past administration.
“You now have the time to look into that hotel about which they say Edo money, in tens of billions of naira, was spent,” he said.
Responding, Governor Okpebholo signalled readiness to form a commission of inquiry. But Wike, despite his own fallout with Obaseki, strongly discouraged such a move.
“If there is someone who would have encouraged Okpebholo to probe and prosecute Obaseki, that person should be me, but what I suffered in ensuring that he returned for a second term and how he paid me back is now in the past,” Wike said in a statement by his media aide, Lere Olayinka.
Don’t do it, I’m the one who should have told you to pursue this man, I know what I passed through.
Wike acknowledged the deep personal betrayal he felt during his political dealings with Obaseki, but argued that leadership demands restraint.
“Don’t do it, I’m the one who should have told you to pursue this man, I know what I passed through.”
He insisted that revenge would not heal old wounds or move the state forward.
“I should be the one to prosecute Obaseki but what is it in life when God has given you a position?” he added.
The FCT minister was scheduled to inaugurate the second phase of the Edo Central Bus Terminal but cancelled the event following the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Wike, known for his candour, also addressed Oshiomhole directly during the occasion, offering a rare public apology.
“Leader, I know how pained you are and what you passed through. I was part of it because I humiliated you. I apologised on national TV to you. Sorry for what I did to you, leave it and let them carry their wahala and go.”
The former Rivers State governor encouraged Okpebholo to channel his energy toward developmental milestones, not political battles.
“Focus on the development of Edo and you will see what you will achieve at the end of the day,” he advised.
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As Wike warns Okpebholo against yielding to pressure for an Obaseki probe, political observers are watching closely to see whether Okpebholo will pursue reconciliation and governance or take the path of retribution that has defined much of Edo’s political drama in recent years.
