By Emeka Amaefula
16TH GOVERNOR OF RIVERS STATE -NYESOM WIKE BREAKS JINX OF INSTALLING SUCCESSOR IN OFFICE
As the 16th Governor of Rivers state Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike during his Awards and Pre-inauguration Dinner on Saturday 27th of May, 2023 in Port Harcourt Rivers state said that he turned out to be the first serving Governor of Rivers state to break the jinx of having successively anointed Governor of Rivers state since the creation of the state in on May 27th 1967. At the end of service of former Governors of Rivers state from the inception to the present administration, each had attempted to have their own choice of successors in office which they found it difficult to execute except the outgoing Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike. Being a strong member of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP with national clout he quickly surprised many of his supporters and close political associates when he announced his most preferred Governorship choice for 2023 Elections. Thus, Sir Siminialaye Joseph Fubara emerged being a former Accountant General of Rivers State.
In 2007 the then Governor of Rivers state had anointed Governorship candidate Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of PDP same political party with Dr. Peter Odili was elected during PDP Gubernatorial Primary election on December 2006 but failed to clinched the finally party endorsement as he was illegally substituted. He went to court and challenged his removal as Governorship candidate of his party and on 25th of December, 2007 Supreme Court of Nigeria in a landmark judgment returned Rt. Honourable Chibuike Amaechi as the duly elected. And when he was about to complete his two terms administration, he chose Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside as his presumed successor after he and his supporters defected to All Progressives Congress-APC. But he couldn’t get his wishes accomplished when in 2015 Governorship election as Peoples Democratic party-PDP Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike emerged victorious as the duly elected executive Governor of Rivers state.
With his failed attempted in 2023 PDP Presidential Primary election, he turned his attention to having his anointed governorship candidate Sir Siminialaye Fubara who finally won the March 18th, 2023 Governorship election in Rivers state.
The event which took place at the Banquet hall of Government House Port Harcourt with the awards bestowed to the Governor Elect Sir Siminialaye Fubara and his Deputy Professor Ngozi Odu and other awardees including One hundred and Sixty persons who received the second highest honour of Distinguished Service Star of Rivers State DSSRS. The event has the 3rd category of Awardees being the Governor’s Medal of Service GMS which was awarded to 15 individuals carefully nominated by the state which has some of the Security Details to the Governor and his Domestic Staff including his drivers. The next in the ceremony were the 4th category being the Rivers State Medals Award RSMA with 11 persons as beneficiaries with five dedicated Primary School Teachers.
