By Godwin Tyonongu
Abuja
Former Coordinating Minister of Education and Rivers state governorship aspirant, Nyeson Wike, has said that his nomination by Governor Rotimi Amaechi as a minister was ill-motivated.
Wike, who threw in the towel from the Federal Executive Council (FEC) just a few days ago while speaking on a national television yesterday said his nomination by his ‘boss’ then was to make him loose political influence at the state level.
The former minister said he was perceived by some allies to the incumbent governor whom if not scuttled early enough would become too powerful and influential to control in that political clime.
He said: “People who are not even in the know of what is happening will come and say this person is so influential, he can become the governor, reduce his powers by sending him away to be the minister.
“But, as a minister, you no longer wield that kind of influence .This started when five nominees were put on the list without me knowing anything about it as the Chief of Staff to the Governor. Of all the five nominees, no one person was picked from my area out of the 22 local governments. I expected him to have put one person’s name.
“I also wanted to vie for the senate but he changed his mind. There was problem and Instead appointed me the DG of his campaign. Later, he gave my name as a ministerial nominee as the second person on the list of 10 nominees, he did that without discussing with me.”
“It is not going to be a walk over. It is still not a do-or-die affair. If I don’t win, I will volunteer to be a campaign Manager for another person that wins.”