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Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has alleged that the then governor of Rivers State offered the late Chief Daniel Orbih inducements to withdraw support for his governorship ambition, but the Peoples Democratic Party chieftain refused.
Wike spoke in Abuja on Wednesday during a night of tributes for Orbih, whom he credited with helping him become Rivers governor in 2015.
He traced their bond to the political struggles of 2013 and 2014, saying Orbih stood firm despite pressure from opponents seeking to derail his ambition.
“There was nothing in this world that was not done to induce him. My governor then sent people to Dan, offered him everything in this world, but Dan stood firm and said, ‘No, I will not accept, I will not agree.’”
Wike did not name the governor in his remarks.
Orbih, the PDP National Vice-Chairman, South South, hailed from Etsako in Edo State. He died on August 31 at the age of 64.
The minister described Orbih as the instrument God used to pave the way for his emergence as governor.
“Today I am a Minister of the FCT; yesterday I was a governor. Who did God use for me to become governor? It was Dan,” he said.
Wike said Orbih donated two bulletproof Mercedes-Benz buses to strengthen his security during the campaign and mobilised political support across the South South.
Despite those contributions, he said Orbih never sought contracts or personal favours throughout his eight years as governor.
“Dan is not a typical Nigerian politician. Throughout my eight years as governor, he never came for one day—either by phone or coming to my house to say, ‘I need this contract.’ Never,” he said.
The minister said Orbih’s conduct demonstrated the loyalty and commitment that defined their friendship.
“The only way I can identify a politician that is reliable is when that politician has stood in times of crisis. Loyalty, commitment to friendship, and being a brother’s keeper run in Dan’s family,” he said.
Wike added that many serving national and state lawmakers would not have attained their positions without Orbih’s support and protection of the region’s interests.
He also credited Orbih with laying the foundation for cooperation across party lines in Edo State, saying the late politician supported several people without benefiting personally from their success.
The minister called for a state burial in recognition of Orbih’s contributions to Edo’s political development and urged stakeholders to act.
“I will continue to keep my relationship with Dan’s family. I think I will also discuss with the family on how to keep the legacies of Dan,” he said.
Also speaking, Senator Magnus Abe, Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, said Orbih introduced him to politics.
Abe recalled serving as Director-General of Orbih’s first governorship campaign under the United Nigeria Congress Party and travelling across Edo with him.
“Dan was indeed a bridge builder par excellence. We are gathered here today not because Dan is dead. We are gathered because of the life that he lived and that life impacted all of us in so many different ways,” he said.
Former Edo governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, said Orbih’s scrutiny as an opposition leader made him a better governor.
He said he often considered how Orbih would assess his decisions, prompting him to prepare more thoroughly before taking action.
“So my happiness today is that Dan and I, whatever our political differences we might have had, the truth is, Dan made me a better governor,” Oshiomhole said.
He urged the family to take consolation in Orbih’s contributions to unity, progress and the development of Ogbona kingdom.
Oshiomhole also thanked Wike for reconciling him with Orbih after a prolonged political disagreement.
“It was right at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt that Dan and I started hugging,” he said.
In his tribute, Senator Sandy Onor described Orbih as a public intellectual, a defender of Edo heritage and a Nigerian patriot.
“Dan was a great man by every measure, a true family man, a great husband, and a worthy father,” Onor said.
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