‘Totally insensitive,’ Atedo Peterside slams Akpabio over comments at Wigwe’s funeral

Mr. Atedo Peterside, President and Founder of Anap Foundation and Anap Jets, has slammed Godswill Akpabio, Senate President for his comments during the funeral service of Herbert Wigwe, his wife Chizoba and son Chizitere, in Port Harcourt on Friday, noting that it’s in poor taste.

Akpabio had while making his remarks, suggested that Siminalayi Fubara, Rivers State governor, resigns from his office if he thought that the struggle for power was not worth it.

Fubara had in his earlier remarks, highlighted the vanity of life, wondering why people kill and destroy to attain power and wealth when in the end, everything is vanity.

“What is all these struggle all about? You want to kill, you want to bury, what is it all about?” he wondered.

However, in response, Akpabio suggested that he should step aside from his office if he thought there was no need to struggle, a comment many said was unbecoming of the former Akwa Ibom State governor.

“What is the struggle all about? I’ll answer you,” he said. “In 2006, I wanted to be a deputy governor. The then deputy governor invited me and said that this office has no money; that there’s nothing in it. A woman who went with me told him, your excellency, don’t waste your time, just resign since there’s nothing in it. And he stood up and started punching the woman, and I told him, your excellency, don’t punch him. There’s nothing in the office, and that’s why I want it, because you are too big for it. So, your Excellency, Governor Fubara, if their is nothing in the struggle, don’t struggle.”

Sharing his view on the exchange between the duo in a comment on X, @AtedoPeterside, the Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and Co-Chair, Agenda 2050 Steering Committee, said, “For the record, I was among those who found the Senate President’s comments at the Wigwe Family Funeral in PH to be in poor taste.

“He began by lamenting that PeterObi received greater applause than he (Akpabio) got & later told us to join him in consoling the widow who was lying in one of the 3 caskets in front of him. Jokes ? Political jibes at a solemn Combined Funeral? Methinks that was self-centred & totally insensitive.”