Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), has called for restraint in the lingering political exchanges between FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Eze made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday while reacting to Wike’s explanation for his absence from the condolence and burial activities following the death of Amaechi’s mother, Dame Ezinne Mary Orduah Amaechi.
Wike had reportedly explained that he did not visit or condole with Amaechi because the former governor neither formally invited him nor personally informed him about his mother’s death.
Eze described the explanation as unnecessary, arguing that condolences following the death of a close relative should not depend on a formal invitation.
He said the death and burial were publicly known and that political disagreements should not prevent individuals from showing sympathy to bereaved families.
The ADC chieftain also criticised what he described as Wike’s scrutiny of Amaechi’s public activities during the mourning period, particularly the former governor’s attendance at a Nigerian Bar Association conference.
According to Eze, individuals respond to grief differently, and attending a professional engagement does not determine the depth of a person’s grief.
“Grief has no statutory timetable,” Eze said, arguing that Amaechi’s participation in public activities should not be interpreted as an indication that he was unaffected by his mother’s death.
Eze further urged both politicians to move their disagreements away from personal exchanges and focus instead on political ideas, governance and issues affecting Nigerians.
He said the continued public disagreements between the two former political associates risk distracting from broader challenges facing the country.
“Politics is inherently competitive, but political competition ought not to become an interminable vendetta,” he said.
The former nPDP spokesman also called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reflect on the tone of political rhetoric among its prominent members, stressing the need for restraint and civility in public discourse.
He noted that the attendance of political leaders from different backgrounds at Dame Amaechi’s burial demonstrated that human solidarity could transcend political affiliations.
Eze concluded that whatever differences exist between Wike and Amaechi, the death of Amaechi’s mother should be treated primarily as a moment for mourning and respect rather than another platform for political confrontation.
