Daniel Bwala, the former spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar 2023 presidential election campaign, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to sheath his sword and partner with the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
Bwala made the call while reacting to a now viral video of the Kano state governor, Abba Yusuf, giving up his seat to his political “godfather,” Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Yusuf, who attended a state function in Kano with Kwankwaso, the former governor of the state, gave up his seat for the Kano state chieftain, sparking commendations across social media.
Speaking on the incident in a statement on his verified X page on Wednesday, Bwala, while advising Wike, mentioned that “leadership is not by threatening.”
Bwala urged the former governor of the state to show “humility” so as to restore peace in Rivers State and propagate the image of President Bola Tinubu across the Niger Delta region.
Bwala said, “See, the Governor of Kano, out of his own volition, gave his governor’s seat to Kwankwaso, @KwankwasoRM to sit at an occasion.
“How I wish Wike @GovWike would learn and know that leadership is not by threatening @SimFubaraKSC and grounding the state, but by example of humility.
“I wish Wike knew that partnering with Fubara would enhance the @officialABAT image and chances in not just the Rivers but the entire Niger Delta.
“Isn’t it ironical that President Tinubu’s landmark achievement of local government autonomy is being subverted in Rivers State?”
Fubara and his predecessor, Wike, have been at loggerheads over the control of the political structure of the state, among other things.
A development that has led to accusations and counter accusations by both parties.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")