By Emeka Amaefula
WHEN RIVERS STATE GOVERNOR NYESOM WIKE TURNS TO A BEAUTIFUL POLITICAL BRIDE IN 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
The Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike has turned his fortunes around as he lost the most coveted highest political office in Nigeria as a presidential aspirant of Peoples Democratic party-PDP during the May, 28, and 29th Presidential Primary election held at Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory. With the loss at the back of his mind and he aspiration to emerge as Vice Presidential candidate of his party, it became a double political tragedy for the Rivers state sitting Governor. With the build up for the 2023 General elections by the corner, the embattled but not demoralized politician is now the beautiful bride in Nigerian politics as most political parties are now visiting him at his private home in Port Harcourt where he resides. On Monday, 20th of June, 2022 the Rivers state Governor opened his country home to many politicians across several political party lines. On Wednesday 22nd of June, 2022 Peter Obi of Presidential Candidate of Labour Party-LP raced to Wike’s private residence at Port Harcourt where he had an indoor meeting. Immediately same day, the Bauchi state governor who also was a presidential aspirant came calling on the Rivers state Governor for an undisclosed mission although allegedly seen as an emissary of Atiku Abubakar who must have been working on the psyche of the embattled Rivers state Governor not to defect to Labour Party or enter into any other political alliance with other politicians having known the political value of Rivers state Governor Wike.
On Thursday 24th of June, 2022 Senators from the National Assembly came to consult with Governor Wike and after that meeting no information was disclosed to journalists as they all left. It was reported that Nyesom Wike is becoming a busy man with Ebony State Governor Engineer Dave Umahi was opened the litany of political meetings to Wike as he came in a nocturnal political meeting by 9pm previous week.
As at the time of filing this report, the Rivers state Governor had not disclosed his next political moves. But several political bulldozers in Nigeria from different political parties have come to Governor Wike’s private residence to hold private meetings with him for the 2023 general elections. The way and manner of the visits signifies the political value.
The Osun state Governorship election coming up in July, 2022 has proven a point that Rivers state Governor Wike is a force to be reckoned with PDP as he is among the committee members mobilized by the party to canvass for election victory for PDP. The Rivers state Governor is now enjoying a national spotlight since his Presidential primary election runner-up status came to majority of Nigerians as revelation of what capacity Nyesom Wike carries. And in the South-South geo-political region he wades tremendous political influence. His political structure could be felt beyond Niger Delta region as in Kogi state his loyalist defeated former Senator Dino Melaye and in other states across Nigeria, Nyesom Wike sponsored many developmental projects some humanitarian gesture to fire outbreak victims in Sokoto state where he donated N500m as relief. Again in Benue State he donated N200m to Fire outbreak victims. Back to Bayelsa state where he donated a brand Nigerian Law School building project completed. So, given his political influence in Nigeria, Wike is feared to actual be a factor in 2023 General election that has made so many political parties running to his private resident at Port Harcourt to court his friendship for support.
This resulted to the visits by members of the National Assembly where sitting Senators also came calling for consultation. The Rivers state governor Wike has persistently exercised control over affairs of PDP especially in 2015 when President Goodluck Jonathan lost to President Muhammadu Buhari. At that point majority of PDP members went low profile as Wike took over the sponsorship of most programmes of PDP at national level and in most states controlled by PDP.
Back to his Homefront in Rivers state, Governor Wike has grass root control of the affairs of the people as his women friendly policy paid off well as he made sure that during the Local Government Council elections his party PDP nominated women as Vice Chairpersons in the 23 LGAs of the state. The Deputy Governor of Rivers state is a woman Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo who is now a Rivers West Senatorial candidate for the 2023 General election. Currently, he allowed another Woman Deputy Governor, Professor Ngozi Odu as running mate to the PDP Rivers state Governorship candidate Siminialaye Fubara.
Given his style of political engineering in South-South and Nigeria Governor Wike is such a fearless politician who says things the way they are without considering they toes he steps upon in the process of fighting the battle he believes in. It is this approach that has brought him in confrontation with seasoned politicians who many would not like to challenge. And for Governor Wike he does not go back to apologize as other politicians would do in other curry favour. In the case stepping on the toes of seasoned Politicians across the country in pre-presidential primary election may be his style of gaining national attention and having a way of measuring his acceptability among other politicians in his circle. There is no part of Nigeria that Governor Wike does not have close allies especially since he served his mandatory national Youth Service Scheme NYSC at Adamawa state he has been able to see any other relationship as a political project. As Deputy National Chairman of Association of Local Government Areas of Nigeria-ALGON while he was elected Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government area of Rivers state put him on a national spotlight as he interacted with other 774 LGA Chairmen during the period he was at that tier of administration. He leveraged on such platform in gaining national prominence and built a formidable political structure beyond the shores of Niger Delta region where he hails from.
Now looking at his post Presidential primary election in PDP, his next political moves remain obsequy. His silence on national issues as it affects his political party is worrisome to the Presidential Candidate of his party who had sent emissaries to him.
The political value of Rivers state governor Wike to PDP is noticed as Walid Jibrin, Chairman of Board of trustees-BoT of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in a publication said that his party will do everything necessary to ensure that Governor Wike does not defect to other political party. “We in PDP know how to solve our problems. We know that governor Nyesom Wike may not be happy. It is the intention of this party to constitute a reconciliation committee that will meet Wike to talk to him, appeal to him, and pray that he will not leave our party” he said.
Walid Jibrin continued as he said that Wike is “a great man who has been fighting for the party, and that party will not want to see him moving to another party. We will all visit Wike together and if it means kneeling to Wike, we will kneel for him. We respect him. We respect his integrity and honesty in supporting the PDP. It is our belief that in any contest, there must be a winner and a loser.”
Rivers state Governor Wike is truly a beautiful political bride whose influence in the coming 2023 Presidential election will affect the fortunes of his political party Peoples Democratic Party.
—————–Emeka Amaefula——-+234(0)8111813069
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