Former President Goodluck Jonathan was allegedly urged to select Nyesom Wike as minister by PA Edwin Clark and other elder statesmen and Ijaw leaders, despite Wike's terrible behaviour while serving as governor of Rivers State under Rotimi Amaechi.
He detailed Wike's rise to prominence and his appointment as education minister. He made it clear that they wanted to keep the Niger Delta political unity and collaboration on the surface by promoting Wike to the position of minister, notwithstanding the challenges he brought.
He said in an interview with Punch, ''As the Chief of Staff to Amaechi, Wike became very difficult. So, we decided to get rid of him. But we talked to Jonathan to make him a minister without telling him that he was not a good kid. That is how it is. Wike came to the centre as a minister of state for Education while Amal Peple became the minister of Housing. So that was what happened at that time.''