Former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has declined to engage in a war of words with the Minister for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, following a disparaging comment made by the minister.
During a live television interview over the weekend, Wike had criticized Wabara, stating: “Unfortunately, they have a man they said is a former Senate President. If that man was my father, I would have disowned him. If he was my father or related to me, I would have disowned him. He doesn’t qualify to be. No wonder President Obasanjo made a presidential broadcast under his tenure about corruption. That’s the man leading PDP BoT.”
In his response, Wabara said it would be undignified for him, as a former Senate President and elder statesman, to trade words with Wike.
“I will expect a man of his calibre and status to mind his language and words. He should be sure of his facts. But I don’t want to join issues with Wike and dignify him,” Wabara stated.
The former Senate President expressed disappointment in Wike’s remarks, saying the minister should exhibit decorum, particularly given his roles as a former governor and a current minister.
“It was disgraceful for a supposed man of honour to speak without decorum, adding that spewing gibberish like a broken water pipe without a tap is not a mark of maturity,” Wabara added.
He also questioned Wike’s claims, asking: “Frankly for a son to disown his father, his father must have wronged him terribly. Can Wike please tell the world what it is I did wrong to him?”
Defending his reputation, Wabara declared: “Talking about corruption, Nigerians know those who are corrupt, and I can proudly say and beat my chest that I’m not one of them. I, Adolphus Wabara, I’m not corrupt! I won’t be joining issues with people who have no respect for elders.”