Insensitivity was taken to an all time high when Senate President Godswill Akpabio enjoined mourners at the funeral ceremony of the late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe and two other family members in Port Harcourt, Rivers State to join him in consoling Chizoba Wigwe who incidentally was lying dead in a casket beside her husband’s and son’s.
Unrelenting, Akpabio went on to complain that the Labour Party Presidential candidate, Peter Obi received more applause than him.
Senate President Akpabio is also facing harsh criticisms for tackling Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, over his statement at the funeral. The governor had asked politicians who attended the funeral the essence of their struggle and killing for power.
Piqued by the development, founder of the Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, berated Akpabio, describing his comments as self-centred, insensitive and in poor state.
Governor Fubara had said, “What is this struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury, what is it all about? This is a man, he’s not a politician. He made his money through us, our investments.
“He has the world in his palm financially. He controls even the political classes. But today, with all the power financially, can’t control life.
“Is it not enough today to ask ourselves, why are we struggling? Why are we not making an impact in the lives of our people? Please, political class, let’s go home with that question, and be answering it in our minds, and reflecting it in what we do.”
Apparently displeased with the Governor’s statement, Senator Akpabio said that if there was nothing in the struggle for politics, the governor should quit office.
His words:: “What’s the struggle about? I will answer you. In 2006, I wanted to be deputy governor. The then deputy governor invited me and said this office has no money. There’s nothing in it. I don’t know why you still insist on removing me from here and taking over
“So, a woman who went with me said ‘your excellency, then don’t wait for impeachment, just resign if there’s nothing in it. And I said ‘it’s true; that’s why I want it. You’re too big for it’. So, Mr Fubara if there’s nothing in the struggle. don’t struggle.”
In his reaction, Peterside in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) said that it was insensitive of the Senate President to first complain that the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Peter Obi received greater applause than he did.
The Stanbic IBTC Bank boss also berated Akpabio for asking the people at the funeral to join him in consoling Wigwe’s wife who was also lying dead in one of the three caskets in their front.
He said, “For the record, I was among those who found the Senate President’s comments at the Wigwe Family Funeral in PH to be in poor taste.
“He began by lamenting that @PeterObi received greater applause than he (Akpabio) got & later told us to join him in consoling the widow who was lying in one of the 3 caskets in front of him. Jokes?
“Political jibes at a solemn Combined Funeral? Methinks that was self-centred & totally insensitive.”
An angry X user, Adeoluwa, with handle @adeh_21, who did not find Akpabio’s comments proper, had this to say:
“No shame and respect for the memory of the departed, Akpabio was merely at the ceremony for political reasons.”
Another angry Nigerian, Anzeh with the handle @anzenangah had this to say:
“Is this man alright? Does he know where he was or the occasion he was attending? I don’t blame him, I blame those who gave him microphone.”
“How do you carry baggage of corruption and dishonesty and expect to be applauded?
Obi is big. He is not a Saint, but he is our Saint Obi.”
“Never you compare yourself with him except you have chosen to walk in his footsteps….story greed no go gree.” Sabi Ine with the handle @True Obidient chipped in.
“Inside burial ceremony. You still dey look for relevance. This show how dark and envious this man is to Peter Obi,” Apostle Joshua with the handle @EvangRobin wrote.
Also, a member of the House of Representatives and Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere criticized Akpabio for purportedly launching a political attack on the Rivers State governor at the funeral.
Reacting to Akpabio’s comments, Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, in a statement, described Akpabio’s utterance as childish and unnecessary.
He wondered why the Senate President would decide to turn a sad moment when family, friends are mourning such tragic losses to political jamboree.
He stated that Governor Fubara had never had issues with Akpabio, recalling that although a PDP governor, Fubara urged federal lawmakers-elect from the state to vote for Akpabio as Senate president in the 10th National Assembly.
Ugochinyere further recalled that Fubara supporting Akpabio is to advance “national interest.”
The lawmaker said this is not the first time Akpabio is meddling in opposition politics, adding that the opposition won’t continue to tolerate it.
He said: “The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio should stop meddling in opposition politics. Last month Akpabio at a function in the Tai Local Government area of the state asked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike to look for someone from Ogoni extraction to succeed state governor, Siminialayi Fubara in 2027.
“Today, he’s responding to a remark by the Governor that has nothing to do with him. The opposition is urging the Senate president to be mindful of his utterances. How can he turn the burial of late Access Bank CEO, Herbert Wigwe, wife and first son, such a sad moment, to a political attack? It’s disappointing. That’s political recklessness taken too far. We the opposition parties won’t tolerate such utterances anymore if it continues.”
