Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has revealed that the late Chief Daniel Orbih rejected every offer from then Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi to withdraw his support for Wike’s governorship ambition.
Wike spoke in Abuja on Wednesday at a night of tributes held in honour of Orbih, the former National Vice-Chairman (South South) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who died on August 31 at the age of 64.
“There was nothing in this world that was not done to induce him. My governor then sent people to Dan, offered him everything in this world, but Dan stood firm and said, ‘No, I will not accept, I will not agree,’” the minister said.
Wike said their relationship became particularly strong during the political crisis between 2013 and 2014, when he alleged that his political opponents made efforts to frustrate his governorship ambition.
“Today I am a Minister of the FCT; yesterday I was a governor. Who did God use for me to become governor? It was Dan,” he said.
He said Orbih, who was then the PDP’s South South National Vice-Chairman, supported his campaign by providing two bulletproof Mercedes-Benz buses for his security and mobilising substantial political support across the region.
Wike also praised Orbih for his selflessness, saying the late politician never sought personal favours, patronage or government contracts throughout his eight years as governor of Rivers State.
“Dan is not a typical Nigerian politician. Throughout my eight years as governor, he never came for one day, either by phone or coming to my house to say, ‘I need this contract.’ Never,” he said.
According to Wike, loyalty was a strong trait within Orbih’s family.
“The only way I can identify a politician that is reliable is when that politician has stood in times of crisis. Loyalty, commitment to friendship, and being a brother’s keeper run in Dan’s family,” he said.
Wike added that Orbih’s influence as the PDP’s National Vice-Chairman was instrumental in protecting the interests of the South South region and helping several politicians attain their current positions as national and state lawmakers.
He said Orbih also helped establish a foundation for cross-party cooperation in Edo State and supported several politicians without seeking personal benefits.
Wike insisted that Orbih deserved a state burial in recognition of his contribution to political development in Edo State and urged stakeholders from the state to work towards making it happen.
“I will continue to keep my relationship with Dan’s family. I think I will also discuss with the family on how to keep the legacies of Dan,” Wike said.
Senator Magnus Abe, Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, said Orbih played a major role in introducing him to politics.
“I was the Director General of his first campaign in the United Nigeria Congress Party, when he ran for governor and I went everywhere in Edo with him.
“Dan was indeed a bridge builder par excellence. We are gathered here today not because Dan is dead. We are gathered because of the life that he lived and that life impacted all of us in so many different ways,” Abe said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North in the Senate and a former governor of Edo State, said Orbih’s opposition helped him become a better governor.
“So my happiness today is that Dan and I, whatever our political differences we might have had, the truth is, Dan made me a better governor.
“So, when I’m making a decision, the first thing I’ll ask is, ‘If this goes out today, what is Dan Orbih going to say?’ Each time I abstain from doing something because of what the opposition led by Dan will interpret to the people, before I do it will be better prepared.
“That is why I say Dan helped me to be a better governor,” he said.
Oshiomhole thanked Wike for helping to reconcile him with Orbih after a prolonged political disagreement.
“It was right at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt that Dan and I started hugging,” Oshiomhole said.
Addressing Orbih’s family, he said: “Please take consolation from the fact that your father built bridges of unity, of progress, and he never did that at the expense of family and he was committed to the growth and development of Ogbona kingdom.”
PDP presidential candidate Senator Sandy Onor described Orbih as “a profound public intellectual, a quintessential lover of Edo people, a defender of Edo heritage, a Nigerian patriot and a social colossus.”
“Dan was a great man by every measure, a true family man, a great husband, and a worthy father,” he said.