Bayelsa State’s Commissioner for Youths Development, Alfred Kemepado, has urged President Bola Tinubu to caution his appointee, Nyesom Wike, over the Minister’s recent insults aimed at the Ijaw people. Kemepado emphasized that Wike’s comments were not only disrespectful but also counterproductive, as they could potentially alienate voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The commissioner’s concerns were sparked by Wike’s recent comment, which drew criticisms from the Ijaw Nation. Members of the ethnic group fired back at the former Governor of Rivers State for allegedly disrespecting their late leader, Edwin Clark, and associating the ethnic group with criminality.
Kemepado stressed that people in respectable positions should be careful with their public statements, noting that no public office holder should insult or make reckless statements about the ancestry of any group in the country. He questioned whether insulting people was an effective way to win votes for the president, highlighting the potential consequences of such actions on election day.
In addition to addressing Wike’s comments, Kemepado defended Governor Douye Diri’s recent directive banning political rallies in Bayelsa. The commissioner explained that the directive was issued to prevent a rally planned by a group loyal to Wike from disrupting the state’s peacefulness. Kemepado assured that Governor Diri is committed to providing governance and maintaining peace in the state, and is not intimidated by the possibility of a state of emergency rule imposed on Rivers State.