ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
The Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum (NDYLF) has condemned a former Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, over his outburst against leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for purportedly condoning the alleged excesses of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
The NDYLF said in a statement on Tuesday that Abati’s outburst was a clear attempt to malign and denigrate Wike and the PDP leaders by describing them as “hungry men who allowed Wike to take over the party.”
The President, NDYLF, Comrade Richard Akinaka, said the position of Abati was allegedly a hatchet job and a clear indication of a case of vendetta against Wike.
He also said Abati’s attack exposed his unholy political affiliation and alliance with those who might have commissioned him to use his platform to disparage the character of supposed political enemies.
Akinaka said: “Reuben Abati has so far, in his conduct, not just on Wike, but other previous altercations with guests on his programme, demonstrated his partisanship, hence he is not fit to be on such platforms anymore.
“His attitude so far is a demonstration that he has failed to remove the sweetness of the lollipop (in his own words) attached to his former office as presidential spokesman and would want to return to such office to correct his previous failures.
“Wike’s records as a successful career lawyer and politician is an open book for even the blind to read and deaf to hear, having risen to a member of the of benchers, council chairman to Chief of Staff, Government House, to Minister and to one of the best governors in the history of Nigeria.
“And above all, a presidential aspirant who was an embodiment of the aspiration of the entire South as evident in the widespread support he enjoys which is clear frustration to Abati’s interest.
“But unfortunately for Abati, there is no record of advancement of progress in his decorated media career of about three decades. Since all these decades in his profession, he has failed to set up his own structure.
“A successful Abati in his career at this point should have been an employer of labour in his field to mentor other younger ones, or maybe he likes the people he promotes to perpetuate himself and deprive younger ones from growing. Abati as a presidential spokesman was not a match to the opposition led by Lai Mohammed who deflated and incapacitated him to the extent that Nigerians never knew Goodluck Jonathan’s presidency was perhaps the best.
“His activities in recent times could be perceived as though he did not work for his former boss – Goodluck Jonathan from the South in 2015 because some of us are just coming to terms with how he was unable to inform Nigerians of the good things of the Jonathan’s Presidency. In politics, his only achievement was an attempt to be a factional deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State which he did not succeed.”