Former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has revealed that he was poisoned in 2019 by unknown persons during the electioneering period.
Wike made the revelation while speaking at a thanksgiving service in his honour in Port Harcourt on Sunday, June 18.
The former Rivers governor said he was flown to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, in the middle of the night after he fell ill.
He recalled that he didn’t make any statement at a state banquet on January 1, 2019, because he was not feeling well.
According to him, many were surprised he didn’t speak at the event, but they didn’t know what was going on.
His words:
”I was poisoned in our campaign secretariat in 2019. My intestines, liver and kidney were all black.
”But, to the glory of God, the next day, the doctors came back and said everything was turning around. They said my liver is functioning; my kidney is functioning.
”To the glory of God, after about one week, they said I could go. I came back to Nigeria to start the campaign properly.
”I told those close to me that we would not stop in anybody’s house, no matter how close they were to me, because I could not identify where, so for me, everybody was a suspect.”
Wike also revealed that his wife was diagnosed of cancer in 2022 but said she was declared cancer-free after some time.
President Bola Tinubu was represented at the church service by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, while Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Jibrin Barau, also attended.
Governors Seyi Makinde of Oyo, Ahmadu Finitiri of Adamawa, Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi and Hope Uzodimma of Plateau were among the state chief executives present.
Also present were former governors Peter Odili of Rivers, James Ibori of Delta, Adams Oshiomole of Edo, Jonah Jang of Plateau, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Okezie Ipeazu of Abia.
Former Ondo governor Olusegun Mimiko was also present, alongside two former governors of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose and Kayode Fayemi, the Peoples Democratic Party acting chairman, Amb. Umar Ililya Damagum was also present.
