Former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has said that in 2018, he was poisoned at the campaign secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and experienced liver and kidney failure as diagnosed in a hospital in Beirut, Lebanon.
He recalled that on one fateful Sunday in December 2018, when he was due to attend the thanksgivings of his former Chief of Staff, Chief Emeka Woke, he was incapacitated to attend the event because he had been poisoned.
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Wike spoke yesterday at the family thanksgiving service organised in his honour at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Rumuepirikom Deanery, of the Diocese of Niger Delta North.
The former governor said: “From that Sunday, I never came down from my room. It will was bad, but those who attended the January 1st, State banquet of 2019, will know that I never spoke that day. I just sat down there and I told my deputy governor to speak on my behalf.
“People didn’t know what was going on. After that banquet, by 12 midnight, I was taken out of the country because I thought it was over. When we got to Beirut, the doctors looked at me and I was looking at them. They were not telling me anything, they said we have to do many test.”
He stated that the next morning the doctors returned and presented a gloomy report that his kidney and liver were no longer functioning.
Wike said: “I never knew that I had been poisoned in our campaign secretariat. My intestinal were all black. The doctors did all they could do.”
“But, through divine providence, what would have been a disastrous situation was miraculously turned around by God, who immediately began to restore my failed organs.
“Within one week, God healed him and he was able to return to Nigeria to continue with the 2019 campaign for his second term in office.”
The former governor also recalled that days leading the the 2022 PDP presidential campaign, his wife, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, called him from London that she had been diagnosed of cancer.
He said he was devastated by the news and even contemplated leaving the presidential race, but his wife urged him not to, adding that, to the glory of God, she was eventually healed of cancer and her life preserved.
Wike said: “God went further to grant me and the state a smooth political transition amidst gang up that was staged by the same people who promised to abide by the collective decision of Rivers elders over who becomes my successor.”
He stated that because the right successor was chosen, he is enjoying peace.
Speaking at the event, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, said he is part of Wike’s political family which was attacked by the political foes, but they failed to achieve their objectives.
Fubara stressed that because of the culture of thanksgiving to God, the former governor has continued to experience political victories.
On his part, the Bishop, Diocese of Niger Delta North of the Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Wisdom Ihunwo, admonished the congregation to always remember that without God no man can attain any position.
Dignitaries who graced the thanksgiving were, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau.
Also present were the Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa), Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang (Plateau).
Other dignitaries included the former Governors Senator David Umahi Ebonyi), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ayo Fayose (Ekiti), James Ibori (Delta), Dr Peter Odili (Rivers), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi ( Enugu), Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (Gombe), Jonah David Jang (Plateau) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo).
Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives as well as the Rivers State House of Assembly also graced the occasion.
