By Emeka Amaefula
HOW RIVERS STATEGOVERNOR NYESOM WIKE’S POLITICAL DYNASTY COLLAPSED IN 2022
The collapsed political structure of Rivers state Governor in the last few
months has left him searching for political relevance prior to his exiting the
coveted seat of the Executive Governor Of Rivers state come 29th of May, 2023. Prior
to his current political gymnastic, Rivers state political activities has been
on the high gear since the incumbent Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike lost his
Presidential Primary election held by Peoples Democratic Party-PDP at Abuja.
First, is the fact that Governor Wike never believed that he would lose the
election to the experienced politician former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who
scored higher number of votes at the special convention. Shocked and beclouded
with sense of shame after all that he had said about key stakeholders in the
Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Wike knew from the night his presidential
bid failed that he has no other option than to submit himself to the dictates
of the party hierarchy with Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at then helms of affairs
dictating the flow of events.
It is on record that on his final speech at the special Convention Wike
promised to work with whoever will emerge as the Presidential Flag bearer but
back stabbing that Presidential candidate that emerged from the Special
Convention is a sign of mistrust and toe-scrapping and undesirable muddling
which eventually has become a whirlwind that will likely chase Wike out from
PDP to his new romance with the national ruling political party-All
Progressives Congress-APC. This political scenario will be messier as we
approach the electioneering campaign period as Wike had finally dragged Atiku
Abubakar and Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal to court claiming that the Court should
declare him the Presidential Candidate of PDP in the 2023 Presidential election
on 25th of February, 2023.
But at his home front in Rivers state, how is the PDP leadership seeing the
personal fight between Governor Wike and PDP Presidential candidate Alhaji
Atiku Abubakar? First is the fact that Wike is the leader of the party in the
state as the highest office holder and financier of the party. His claims that
he has remained in the party since its formation in 1998 is a welcome
development as there are so many others who have not defected to any other
political party since 1998 to date. And Governor Wike failed to understand that
those loyal party members have their political future tied to the success of
the party at the national level especially with the Presidential candidate
Alhaji Abubakar’s victory at the polls on 25th of February,
2023.
About 50-elective positions are at stake across the 319 Councillorship
wards, 23- Local Government COUNCILS seats, 32 State constituencies for House
of Assembly, 13, Federal House of Representatives seat, 3-Senatorial seats and
several members of Board of Trustees-BoT. Others belong to various associations
across national interests such as association of former Councilors, Association
of Former Chairmen of Local Government Councils, Association of former State
House of assembly members, Association of former state Governors, Association
of former Chairman of PDP across the 36-states plus Federal capital territory
Abuja and former Presidents who are members of the Federal Security Council are
all structures the Rivers state Governor Nyesom Wike neglected and allegedly
concentrated on his personal agenda of ‘if I can’t be Presidential candidate I
will bring down the Party structure.’ It was on the above-mentioned party
structure that former Deputy Speaker Federal House of representatives Chief
Austin Opara, former senator Lee Meaba and Barrister Celestine Omehia a usurper
of the office of Rivers state Governor from May 29th to 25th of
October 2007 went to hold meeting with PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku
Abubakar which irked Governor Wike who condemned the Rivers state politicians
who have allegiance to PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and the verbal
threat of killing himself and those who attended meeting with Atiku Abubakar
without getting express permission and clearance from him.
Due to the above political crises troubling Rivers state PDP and other under
current, Governor Nyesom Wike failed to understand that majority of his party
elders are not happy with his single highhandedness in selecting the
Governorship candidate former Accountant General Siminialaye Fubara who is an
unknown political quantity in Rivers state. Because the way and manner he chose
PDP Governorship candidate Riverine Ijaws from Kalabari and Wakrikese areas of
Rivers state are out to display their displeasure with mobilization of votes
against PDP governorship candidate in Rivers state for 2023 election. To
realize this objective several party members in All Progressives Congress-APC
but from Rivers Ijaw in the Kalabari area have resigned from APC and joined
other parties to be used to capture Governorship ticket and eventually win the
Rivers state Governorship election in March, 2023 before they will defect back
to their original political parties prior to the election in March 2023.
There is mass defection ongoing from PDP to All Progressives Congress as the
Director General of Wike Solidarity Movement while APC spokesman Chris Finebone
has defected to PDP having come from Opobo/Nkoro Local Government area of
Rivers state.
On the rumour making rounds that Governor Wike will join APC, he has denied
that for a political party he described as having Cancer which he is romancing
with now is unbelievable as politicians have different ways to seek relevance
in the political firmament. Will Governor Wike and former Minister of
Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi sit down on the same political party
chair of APC and discuss the affairs of Rivers state and her people? Time will
tell.
Emeka Amaefula—-_234(0)8111813069