By Emeka Amaefula
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RIVERS STATE POLITICAL PARTIES IN SWAPPING OF PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES’ LOYALTY
WIKE’S APC VS CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI’S PDP-ATIKU ABUBAKAR’S ARRANGEMENT
Few days to the February 25th Presidential and National Assembly elections political parties and the supporters of the frontline candidates are jostling for votes especially in Rivers state where two sworn political opponents the incumbent Governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike who is not running for election but campaigning for his successor Siminilayae Fubara as Peoples Democratic Party-PDP against the All Progressives Congress-APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who it is obvious is being supported by Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. Same grapevine information has spread across the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers state where the former Governor and former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi a member of All Progressives Congress-APC is alleged to have informed his political followers in Rivers state to support the presidential candidate of Atiku Abubakar.
Inside Rivers state the Governorship candidate of APC Pastor Architect Tonye Cole it is alleged is being supporter by a PDP splitter group that are supporters of Atiku Abubakar and who are not in the same political group of Nyesom Wike. Those supporters of Atiku Abubakar in Rivers state had approached a High Court in Rivers state to obtain injunction restricting the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in Rivers and the Rivers state Governor from arresting and detaining them, or expelling them from PDP. Those supporters of Atiku Abubakar in Rivers state include Dr. Precious Abiye sekibo the Director General Presidential Campaign Council PCC of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign in Rivers state, others include Sir Austin Opara, Sir, Barrister Celestine Omehia, Chief Uche Secondus, Senator Lee Maeba and the Spokesman of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers state all are being afraid that the incumbent Governor of Rivers state Nyesom Wike may use the political machinery in the state to arrest and detain them on flimsy excuse of violating Executive Orders 21 and 22 which has been allegedly used to arrest some political supporters of Atiku Abubakar in the trump up charges of involving themselves in Cult related activities in Rivers state from where about 35 such supporters were arraigned before a sitting magistrate and clamped down in the Port Harcourt Correctional Centres Awaiting Trial inside the Prisons.
Such apprehensive tendencies are rife in Rivers state where the sitting Governor Wike has come out to deny the Supporters of Atiku Abubakar the use of the Adokiye Amisiemaka 60,000 sitting capacity stadium in Port Harcourt for the 11th February Presidential Campaign Rally in Port Harcourt. But the Rivers state Governor rescinded the approval given to the Supporters of Atiku Abubakar later renewed his approval which was earlier withdrawn. But the Supporters of Atiku Abubakar rejected the offer as they are now having option B plan to have their presidential Candidate perform Mega Rally in Port Harcourt.
On the political activities in Rivers state several allegations of vote buying is going on in various voting precincts where the Permanent Voters cards -PVC data of voters are being captured and financial inducement going on with the recruitment of over 1,000 Political Affairs Aides across the 319 Wards in Rivers state. It’s no longer secret that the Political Affairs aides are now openly approaching prospective voters talking to them to surrender details of their PVC and finally promising them cash in exchange of having them cast their votes to their preferred candidates at the polls come February 25th and 11th of March, 2023.
—————–Emeka Amaefula—-+234(0)8111813069
