Independent NG
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has opened up on how his political career was salvaged by the magnanimity of Justice Mary Odili to remain grateful to her for her timely intervention that saved his political career in 2004.
Governor Wike made this disclosure at the 70th birthday and retirement thanksgiving mass of Justice Odili as Justice of the Supreme Court held at Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Chaplaincy, Catholic Institute of West Africa, (CIWA) in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
The Rivers State governor recalled how he cried to Justice Odili when he got the hint that his name was not included among those cleared to contest either as first term or second term Chairmen of Local Councils in the state
According to Governor Wike, Justice Odili listened to him and took the complaint to her husband, Dr Peter Odili, who was the governor of Rivers State then.
Governor Wike explained that the manner Justice Mary Odili presented the matter got her husband acting on it immediately.
He said, first, Dr Peter Odili invited the then Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party chairman, Uche Secondus, to confirm the observation and thereafter put a call across to the then national secretary of the PDP, Chief Vincent Ogbulafor.
“In 2004, that time the husband was the governor, so she was going to Bori Camp for women empowerment scheme. I was to run for the second tenure as chairman of my local government (Obio-Akpor).
“Now, they were having lunch with her husband and the former State party chairman then, Prince Uche Secondus. And, I was told that my name had been removed from the list. So, I ran down to Government House.
“She has finished her lunch, left her husband and was entering the vehicle. I said mummy I’m finished. She asked what happened, I said they’ve removed my name.
“She ran back straight to her husband and informed him. Her husband asked who removed his name. At that time, Secondus had left. The husband then called the security at the gate, they stopped Secondus and ask him to come back…
