The ambitions of Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and Prince Uche Secondus, two prominent Rivers state born politicians may truncate the peaceful conduct of Presidential Primary election for Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Nigeria come 2023 general elections. www.towncrier.ng here reviews the intrigues and smart political maneuvering that is currently being outplayed by all the parties in Rivers state chapter of PDP. First in the line is Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike’s establishment of a political pressure group known as Grass root Development Initiatives—GDI spread in the 774 Local Government Areas of Nigeria since 2020. This is the same political pressure group that he established in 2013 preceding his inclusion into the federal Executive Cabinet of the then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and with which he established in the 23 Local Government Areas of Rivers state in 2014 leading to Rivers state chapter of PDP Gubernatorial Primary election. With this political structure in 2014, he was almost present in Rivers state touring the 23 LGAs launching his GDI chapters against all odds while other governorship aspirants were watching and some being carried away with his political gamesmanship.
In 2023 Governor Wike is no longer giving room for speculation on his avowed Presidential ambition as he had come out to say that he will give a trial to election into a national service whether he succeeds or not that he must try. Asked whether he would vote for President Goodluck Jonathan should he decamp to All Progressives Congress –APC being his kinsman, Wike retorted that he does not cast his votes on ethnic sentiments but as a party loyalist he will go wherever his party goes. But to think about his contending reality of having a National Chairman of his party come from his own state and supporting a Northern Presidential aspirant instead of himself, Rivers state Governor Wike is having sleepless nights on this serious obstruction to realizing his ambition which is being elected as President Federal Republic of Nigeria come 2023. Should Prince Uche Secondus during the upcoming National PDP party Convention emerges as National Chairman for a second term this will relegate Governor Wike to aspiring for Running Mate position to anyone that emerges as Presidential candidate of the party.
Secondly, should Rivers state Governor insist on contesting for PDP Presidential Primary election one of the odds against him will be the overshadowing presence of National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus who hails from Ikuru town in Andonni Local Government Area of the state. Political pundits have it that the Rivers state Governor is currently pushing for a Northern national Chairman of PDP which will truncate the second term ambition of Prince Uche Secondus. Thirdly at home in Rivers state, Prince Uche Secondus is not giving out his political structure as he fortifies his base with politicians who will be loyal to him at all times, in this way during the April 17th, 2021 Rivers state Local Government Elections Prince Uche Secondus and Governor Wike had a running battle on selection of Chairman of Andonni Local Government Council as the incumbent Paul Lawrence lost in the smokescreen Primary election as Governor Wike’s stooge and loyalist, Mr. Erastus Awortu won. This set the battle ground clear as former Deputy Governor to former Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Engr. Tele Renner Ikuru a cousin to Prince Uche Secondus now has a second option which is to vie for 2023 Rivers state Governorship election having come from one of the Riverine coastal communities of Eastern Obolo Ijaw ethnic nationality.
Another option for Prince Uche Secondus is to use another of his kinsman, a retired military officer Major Lancelot Anyanya who also contested against Wike in 2015 but lost. And he was compensated with appointment as Chairman of National Oil Spill Detection Response Agency -NOSDRA. Fear of Prince Uche Secondus is the beginning of political wisdom for Rivers state Governor Wike and 2023 Presidential election. Few days ago Prince Uche Secondus rattled Governor Wike over looming political misfortune as majority of the PDP national Chairman were surreptitiously removed from key political positions across Rivers state as evidenced in the just concluded Local Government Councils election held in Rivers state.