By Our Correspondent
Bayelsa State’s Commissioner for Youth Development, Alfred Kemepado, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu against tolerating the inflammatory remarks of his appointee, Nyesom Wike.
He warned that Wike’s public insults, particularly against the Ijaw people, could alienate voters ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Kemepado’s reaction follows Wike’s recent comments dismissing the Ijaw as a minority group, a statement that sparked outrage.
Ijaw leaders condemned the remarks as disrespectful, especially towards their late elder statesman, Edwin Clark.
The backlash intensified as many accused Wike of associating the Ijaw ethnic group with criminality.
Speaking on Arise TV’s ‘The Morning Show’ on April 1, 2025, Kemepado stressed that public officeholders must exercise caution in their statements.
He questioned the political wisdom of Wike’s approach, stating, “Nobody gets more votes for the president by insulting the people.”
He further challenged Tinubu’s administration to rein in Wike, emphasizing that alienating key ethnic groups is not a strategy for electoral success.
“If anybody serving the president goes around insulting people, is that how to win more votes for him?
“On election day, would you leave your units and wards and go to the places where you’ve insulted people?” he asked.
Kemepado also defended Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri’s recent decision to ban political rallies in the state.
He explained that the move was necessary to maintain peace, as a planned rally by Wike’s loyalists threatened to destabilize the state.
“Governor Diri is afraid of nothing. We have a responsibility to provide governance, and one of our key achievements is maintaining peace,” he asserted.
As political tensions rise, all eyes are on President Tinubu to see if he will act on the growing concerns over Wike’s divisive rhetoric.
