A group, the Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum (NDYLF) has slammed the former Presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, over outburst against leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for purportedly condoning the alleged excesses of Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.
The group stated that Abati’s outburst is a clear attempt to malign and denigrate Governor Wike and the PDP leaders, noting that the former’s description that the party’s leaders were ‘hungry men who allowed Wike to take over the party’ was one insult too many on both the Rivers state Governor and the party’s leaders.
President of the Niger Delta Youth Leadership Forum (NDYLF), Richard Akinaka, said the position of Reuben Abati was an hatchet job and a clear indication that it was a case of vendetta against Governor Wike.
This was just as the NDYLF President also added that Abati’s outburst against the duo of governor Wike and the party’s leaders amounted also to his unholy political affiliation and alliance with those who may have commissioned him to use his platform to disparage the character of supposed political enemies.
“Reuben 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 attached to his former office as presidential spokesman where he performed woefully and would want to return to such office to correct his previous failures.
“Wike’s records as a successful career lawyer and politician are an open book for even the blind to read and deaf to hear, having risen to a member of the body of benchers, from council Chairman to Chief of staff, Government House and then to Minister, and finally 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 Reuben’s interest.”
“But unfortunately for Abati, there is no record if advancement of progress in his decorated media career of about three decades as he has just been an employee to younger colleagues of his. Abati employed as a TV anchor, mere news reader and columnist by a junior colleague, since all these decades in his profession, he has failed to set up his own structure, should be one of the umpires to feed the Nigerian populace a balanced and unbiased analysis on issues”, the group said.
“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 like the people he promotes want to perpetuate himself and deprive younger ones from growing.Reuben 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.”
“Reuben’s activities in recent times could be perceived as though he did not work for his former boss – Jonathan from the South in 2015 because some of us are just coming to terms with how he was unable to inform Nigerians on the good things of the Goodluck’s presidency. Maybe it was part of his failure.In politics, his only achievement was an attempt to be a factional deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in Ogun State which he failed.”
“If Arise TV wants Nigerians to take it serious and value their services, they must urgently purge the station of blackmailers and Public Relations Contractors.To some of us unlike the Abati’s, what Wike did for the PDP was an act of excellent leadership to keep our democracy competitive”, the NDYLF added.

By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa