4-PDP TOP POLITICIANS EYEING RIVERS STATE GOVERNORSHIP SEAT IN 2023

The political space in Nigeria has been opened for activities leading to electing office holders come 2023. And in Rivers state where there are aggregate of various opinion leaders and stakeholders who in one way or the other will influence the emergence of new Governorship candidate to take over from the incumbent Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike come May 29, 2023 the search for a probable Governorship candidate to be the flagbearer of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP has begun. The Executive Governor Wike has sometimes in the last quarter of 2021 made a declarative statement to those around him to deepen their level of consultation around the state if they really want to be interested to take over the mantle of leadership from him.

It was in the outcome of the declaration that Emeka Amaefula reveals PDP’s four top politicians who are the anointed candidates for the Rivers state top job of executive Governor come 2023.

TAMMY W. DANAGOGO

Given the political intrigues currently being canvassed across the three senatorial Zones of Rivers state, the incumbent Secretary -To-Rivers State Government -SSG Tammy W. Danagogo PhD is a man after the heart of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. One of the reasons many people may not understand about Wike’s love for Dr. Tammy W. Danagogo is the fact he has been on the same political template with Governor Wike starting from the Local Government Council administration where Wike headed Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and Danagogo headed Akuku-Toru Local Government Area. While Wike battled for the Supreme Court upturning Rivers state 2007 Governorship election in favour of Wike’s right candidate being Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi Dr. Danagogo was in support of his action, giving him legal advice. When the victory was eventually won, Dr. Danagogo was appointed Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs where his sterling performance was noticed in making various communities with plethora of conflicts to remain in peace with alternative dispute resolution rightfully applied and adhered to by all parties. With the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan as President of the Federal Republic, this University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu Campus Law doctoral graduate Tammy Danagogo was favoured with his appointment as Honourable Sports Minister.

In a similar vein, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike made his way to Abuja to join Danagogo as Junior Minister of Education in President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. Here the duo had a robust relationship in piloting the affairs of Rivers state from Abuja. In 2012 leading to 2013 to 2014 with the 2015 General elections in view, the duo hatched and executed a decent plan to take the mantle of leadership in Rivers state come 2015. It was accepted that a political Pressure group be formed to galvanize political awareness among the voters thus GRASSROOT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES—GDI was formed and Wike was made the Chairman of the organization. This group established its presence in the 23-Local Government Councils and 319 electoral wards in Rivers state. Both contributed funds in the management of GDI leading to December 2014 when Wike was voted as Flagbearer of PDP in the 2015 Governorship election which he eventually won by landslide.

Prior to all these, when in 2014 Nyesom Wike had to resign from the Executive Cabinet of the then President Goodluck Jonathan, it was Dr. Tammy W. Danagogo as Minister and Honourable Kenneth Kobani the n Minister of State for trade and Investment that contributed money to purchase Peoples Democratic Party-PDP Governorship Expression of Intent Form.

So, the reward for hard work is currently on display here with the 2023 Governorship election coming and Governor Wike searching for who to hand over the helm of affairs to, seeing the direction of Dr. Danagogo, a man with versed knowledge in political matters and Law. A party loyalist who had never defected to any other party from 1999 to date.

Wike’s challenge here is not having SSG coming from huge electoral Votes catchment zone Kalabari ethnic nationality with 3-Local Government Areas of Akuku-Toru, Asari-Toru and Degema all have low voters’ demography. To get things better Wike opinion may not exclude making one of his staunch aides from Ikwerre speaking ethnic group as Running mate. Or using Ogoni as running mate with huge electoral demographic influence in Rivers South east senatorial district.

EMEKA WOKE

The serving Chief of Staff to Governor Ezebunwo Wike has been a loyal follower of Wike political machinery and he has been a grass root politician having served at the same period with Wike as elected Emohua Local government Council Chairman for second term. This trained Engineer has not given up the struggle to make Rivers state better with the visions of Governor Wike. Thus, in the formation of a new Government in 2015, he joined hands in N.E.W VISION 2015 PROJECT of the then Minister of Federal Republic Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. He served in the organization prominently and when PDP won the election in 2015, he was appointed Chief of Staff till date. His political pedigree of turning Emohua Local Government to investment destination of many multinational companies attracted the attention of his political godfather the then Governor Peter Odili. In the 2007 struggle to grab political power through the Court, he joined the Rivers state Solidarity Movement RSM while Wike was at the helm and finally the Supreme Court awarded victory to Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.

One political advantage is that he comes from an area with highest electoral fortune being Ikwerre ethnic nationality that has Obio/Akpor having the most valid electoral voting strength no serious politician can ignore. Port Harcourt Local Government and seat of the capital of the Rivers state Government is also under the Ikwerre speaking ethnic group. Other Ikwerre speaking indigenous Local Government Areas include Emohua, Ikwerre and Etche and Omuma Local Government Areas.

The political Calculations of  Wike remain to make an Ikwerre man one of the pillars of the coming Government  in the state come 2023. And Engineer Emeka Woke eventually emerged as Deputy Governor with the former Deputy Speaker Austin Opara having been considered as being too influential to be a running mate.

FELIX OBUAH 

He is being considered as one of the anointed Governorship aspirants in the political card of the incumbent Governor of Rivers state Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike come 2023 Governorship election in the state. First is the contributions of Brother Felix Amechi Obuah a philanthropist, top Sports enthusiast and founder of Go-Round Football Club. He is a hotelier and Chief Executive Officer of KRISDERA Hotels and Resorts Omoku. A businessman and a politician of note. He was elected Chairman of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area at the same time Wike was Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA for a second term.

In 2012, when the Peoples Democratic party held her state Congress Brother Felix Obuah with the help of Wike systematically upstaged the then incumbent State Chairman late Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake who was going for re-election. Thus, a court case sprung up which ended at the Supreme Court of Nigeria which declared Brother Felix Obuah as authentic State Chairman of PDP. This is how a sitting governor His Excellency, Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi lost grip of his then Political party-PDP as he formed New PDP that was used as a negotiating tool for the merger to form All Progressives Congress-APC. Governor Amaechi quickly ran to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a rescue that led to the formation of APC. Brother Felix Obuah holds sway as Sole Administrator of Rivers state Waste Management Agency-RIWAMA a multi-Billion-naira Environmental sanitation and waste management state owned outfit after he served out his tenure as Chairman of PDP Rivers state chapter.

Today, Brother Felix Obuah has much to give to Rivers state as he warms up for the Rivers state 2023 Governorship race. Not to be outsmart as he has [plan B which is looking into the Rivers state West Senatorial position being eyed by one of his co-Ogba men, Professor Henry Ugboma Chief Medical Director of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital who is an All Progressives Congress staunch member.

ALABO DAX GEORGE KELLY

Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike has his eyes fixed on people who will deliver the dividends of democracy just like himself and Alabo Dax George Kelly his current special Adviser on Special Projects and Head Bureau on Special Projects, Dr. Alabo George Kelly is the answer he has which has translated to the avalanche of projects littering various nook and cranny of Rivers State. This Kalabari born administrator has been working Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC where Governor Wike spotted him and brought him closer to his administration since then the name tag of Mr. Projects changed to MR. QUALITY PROJECTS. Come 2023 Governor Wike is looking at how possible somebody who has the same mindset of having the progress of Rivers state at heart to succeed him in office come 2023 Governorship election. And Alabo Dax George Kelly will not disappoint him being made by Governor Wike.

All the signature projects of Governor Wike it is reported has the brain power of Alabo Dax George Kelly who if he emerges as Governor of Rivers state in 2023 would continue with the development plan of Governor Wike until he goes the way of many successors in Nigeria’s Political landscape.