Publisher of ThisDay newspaper Nduka Obaigbena threw jibes at Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike at the funeral of Margaret Obaigbena held over the weekend in Delta State.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Obaigbena is seated with Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and others.
Then Obaigbena begins to sing “Governor of Sokoto, Tambuwal, Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party governors forum, Tambuwal Presidential candidate, Tambuwal Wike ‘lule’, Tambuwal Wike ‘lule’, Tambuwal! Wike ‘lule’, Tambuwal Future president, Tambuwal.”
Tambuwal immediately signals that he is not in support of it. ‘”Lule’’ is a Yoruba word meaning “fallen”.
Obaigbena did not invite Wike to the funeral.
The Rivers governor has been having a running battle with the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, who is highly favoured by Tambuwal.
The Sokoto governor in fact stepped down at the party’s presidential primary and endorsed Atiku.
Wike is reportedly angered because he was overlooked by Atiku for the vice-presidential slot.
Obaigbena gathered the nation’s who’s who at the funeral of his mother in Delta on Saturday.
Among the high-profile attendees were the president of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote; presidential candidate of the Labour, Peter Obi; Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo, former governor of Cross River, Donald Duke; and Zenith Bank founder, Jim Ovia.
Also present was the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; veteran journalists Bisi Olatilo and Dele Momodu, former managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Hadiza Usman; and businesswoman Bola Shagaya among others.
Mama Obaigbena, who died at the age of 88 on June 16, 2022, was a former chief nursing officer of the defunct Bendel State (now Delta State) Government. She was appointed special adviser by three governors of Delta State.
