Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has attributed his emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015 to the role played by the late National Vice-Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), South South, Chief Daniel Orbih.
Wike made the revelation in Abuja on Wednesday, October 8, 2026, during a night of tributes held in honour of Orbih, who died on August 31 at the age of 64.
The FCT Minister recalled the intense political battles, pressure and alleged financial inducements that Orbih resisted while supporting his governorship ambition during the turbulent period between 2013 and 2014.
“Today I am a Minister of the FCT; yesterday I was a governor. Who did God use for me to become governor? It was Dan,” Wike said.
According to him, political opponents, including the then Governor of Rivers State, made several attempts to persuade Orbih to withdraw his support, but the late politician remained steadfast.
“There was nothing in this world that was not done to induce him. My governor then sent people to Dan, offered him everything in this world, but Dan stood firm and said, ‘No, I will not accept, I will not agree,’” Wike said.
The minister said Orbih, who was then the PDP National Vice-Chairman for the South South, not only supported his campaign politically but also contributed materially to his security and mobilisation efforts, including donating two bulletproof Mercedes-Benz buses.
Wike also praised Orbih for his selflessness, saying he never sought personal benefits, patronage or government contracts throughout his eight years as governor of Rivers State.
“Dan is not a typical Nigerian politician. Throughout my eight years as governor, he never came for one day—either by phone or coming to my house to say, ‘I need this contract.’ Never,” he said.
He said Orbih’s loyalty, commitment to friendship and willingness to stand by others during difficult moments were values deeply rooted in his family.
“The only way I can identify a politician that is reliable is when that politician has stood in times of crisis. Loyalty, commitment to friendship, and being a brother’s keeper run in Dan’s family,” Wike said.
The former Rivers governor further maintained that Orbih’s political influence and ability to protect the interests of the South South contributed to the emergence of several national and state lawmakers.
He also described the late politician as a strategic thinker who laid the foundation for cross-party collaboration in Edo State and supported several politicians without seeking personal rewards from their successes.
Wike said Orbih’s contributions to political development in Edo State deserved wider recognition, calling for stakeholders to consider giving him a state burial.
He also pledged to maintain his relationship with Orbih’s family and work towards preserving his political legacy.
“I will continue to keep my relationship with Dan’s family. I think I will also discuss with the family on how to keep the legacies of Dan,” he said.
Also paying tribute, the Chairman of the Board of the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Senator Magnus Abe, disclosed that Orbih played a major role in introducing him to politics.
“I was the Director General of his first campaign in the United Nigeria Congress Party, when he ran for governor and I went everywhere in Edo with him,” Abe said.
He described Orbih as a bridge builder whose influence extended beyond partisan politics.
“Dan was indeed a bridge builder par excellence. We are gathered here today not because Dan is dead. We are gathered because of the life that he lived and that life impacted all of us in so many different ways,” he said.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North in the Senate and a former Governor of Edo State, also credited Orbih with helping him become a better governor despite their political differences.
“So my happiness today is that Dan and I, whatever our political differences we might have had, the truth is, Dan made me a better governor,” Oshiomhole said.
He recalled how Orbih’s opposition forced him to carefully consider the consequences of his decisions while in office.
“So, when I’m making a decision, the first thing I’ll ask is, ‘If this goes out today, what is Dan Orbih going to say?’ Each time I abstain from doing something because of what the opposition led by Dan will interpret to the people, before I do it will be better prepared.
“That is why I say Dan helped me to be a better governor,” he said.
Addressing Orbih’s family, Oshiomhole urged them to draw comfort from the legacy he left behind.
“Please take consolation from the fact that your father built bridges of unity, of progress, and he never did that at the expense of family and he was committed to the growth and development of Ogbona kingdom,” he said.
Oshiomhole also thanked Wike for helping to reconcile him with Orbih after a prolonged political disagreement.
“It was right at Wike’s residence in Port Harcourt that Dan and I started hugging,” he recalled.
In his tribute, PDP presidential candidate Senator Sandy Onor described Orbih as a distinguished public figure whose contributions transcended partisan politics.
Onor described him as “a profound public intellectual, a quintessential lover of Edo people, a defender of Edo heritage, a Nigerian patriot and a social colossus.”
“Dan was a great man by every measure, a true family man, a great husband, and a worthy father,” he said.
