The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has recalled how the late Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Daniel Orbih, resisted pressure and inducements to support his bid for the Rivers State governorship in 2015. Wike said Orbih stayed behind him at a crucial point in the race despite attempts by political opponents to persuade him to withdraw his support.
He spoke on Wednesday at a night of tributes held in Abuja for Orbih, who died on August 31 at the age of 64. Wike said that having gone from governor to FCT minister, he credited Orbih as the person God used to make him governor.
According to Wike, Orbih came under intense pressure in the run-up to the election, including attempts to win him over with political and material offers. He said everything possible was done to induce him, and that the governor at the time sent emissaries to Orbih with every offer imaginable, but Orbih stood firm and refused.
Wike added that Orbih’s support went beyond publicly backing his ambition. The late politician donated two bulletproof Mercedes-Benz buses to the campaign for security purposes and helped mobilise political structures in the South-South.
What Wike said he valued most, however, was that Orbih never sought personal gain from their relationship. He described Orbih as no typical Nigerian politician, noting that in his eight years as governor, Orbih never once called or visited his home to ask for a contract. Wike portrayed him as a politician whose loyalty was tested in times of crisis and who remained dependable when relationships came under strain, saying reliability can only be judged by how a politician stands in such periods, and that loyalty, commitment to friendship and being a brother’s keeper ran in Orbih’s family.
Wike also credited Orbih with influencing the careers of several South-South politicians and with supporting political bridge-building in Edo State. He urged stakeholders in Edo to honour the late politician with a state burial in recognition of his contributions to the state’s political development. He said he would keep up his relationship with the family and would discuss with them how to preserve Orbih’s legacy.
Former Edo State governor and current Senator for Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, also paid tribute, saying their political disagreements ultimately made him a more accountable governor. Oshiomhole explained that Orbih’s position as an opposition leader made him consider how Orbih and his supporters would scrutinise his decisions before he took major actions. He said that whatever their differences, Orbih made him a better governor. He recalled that Wike helped reconcile the two men after a prolonged disagreement, and that they began rebuilding their relationship at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt.
The Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Magnus Abe, spoke of Orbih’s influence on his own career. He said he served as director-general of Orbih’s first governorship campaign under the United Nigeria Congress Party and travelled with him across Edo State. Abe described Orbih as a bridge builder par excellence and said mourners had gathered not because he had died but because of the life he lived and its impact on so many people.
Former PDP presidential candidate Sandy Onor described Orbih as a public intellectual, a defender of Edo heritage and a Nigerian patriot. He also called him a great man by every measure, as well as a true family man, a great husband and a worthy father.
Orbih was a prominent politician, businessman and long-serving PDP chieftain who served as the party’s National Vice-Chairman (South-South) and as its longest-serving Edo State Chairman.
