–IN RIVERS STATE
By Emeka Amaefula
Rivers state political landscape is currently undergoing surgical operations for a new recuperating entities born from the aftermath of the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections threw up a new political permutations where a faction of the All Progressives Congress-APC led by Chief Tony Okocha and another faction of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP in Rivers state Led by Nyesom Wike all joined hands to elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu with the highest electoral votes in Rivers state for the President-Elect on Saturday 25th of February, 2023. The issues here remain on how Rivers state Governor Wike played his games to avert anti-party activities so as to remain inside PDP and surreptitiously work for All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate. The APC faction led by former Governor of Rivers state and Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the PDP Faction Presidential Campaign Committee led by Dr. Abiye Precious Sekibo came together to work for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 Presidential candidate whereas Labour Party in Rivers state allegedly received logistics support from Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
Here immediately the PDP Presidential Primary election was won by Atiku Abubakar the Rivers state Governor began to recruit some Southern and Middle Belt state Governors recollecting the agreement by Southern Governors’ Forum at Asaba, Delta state capital in which one of the issues the group accepted was that a Southern extraction President of Nigeria must emerge in 2023 Presidential election. Another Southern Governors’ Forum Meeting was held at Lagos where the same conditions were reaffirmed. Armed with such boisterous elbow political jabs the Rivers state began mobilization and consultation for his 2023 Presidential aspirations whereas he tipped the Adamawa state Governor Alhaji Umaru Ahmadu Fintiri as his Vice-Presidential nominee. Recall that Nyesom Wike spent a lot of time visiting Adamawa state where he performed his one mandatory National Youth service Corps Scheme -NYSC in the 1990s. During the December period in 2022 he still visited Umaru Fintiri and always invited him for the Commissioning and Flagging Off of Projects in Rivers state. All these were targeted in understudying the character and person of the Adamawa State governor and how he will fit into his Presidential ambition game plan if not in 2023 but in 2027.
Second stage was very late coming as Nyesom Ezenwo Wike got wind of the plan by PDP national working committee were about to suspend and finally expel him and his G-5 Governors Group he filed a lawsuit against PDP preventing the party from doing so while buying time for the conclusion of the Presidential.
Third stage was Wike laying political ambush inside 4,442 Rivers state electoral Polling units against PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar calling him enemy of the Southern Nigerian people. Hence. he recruited over 1000 Political Aides known as his political foot soldiers whose aims and objectives include to recruit 5-electorate each to secure ballot boxes for him during the Presidential election and national Assembly elections. These over 1000 Political aides were monthly paid stipends of N20,000 and other honorarium for jobs yet to be executed on 25th of February, 2023.
Stage Four, Wike toured all the 23-Local Government Areas campaigning for the election of PDP Governorship candidate Siminialaye Joseph Fubara, 13 Federal House of Representatives and 3-senatorial candidates and 32-State House of Assembly candidates. He sensitized his people on the danger of voting for Atiku Abubakar of PDP as Atiku Abubakar if he wins will jail him (WIKE).
Stage 5 includes the commissioning of Projects at the rural areas which attracted huge turnout of Rivers state people…at each of the 23-LGAs he will criticize Atiku Abubakar and what his Presidency will look like should he be voted in by Nigerians as the 16th President of Nigeria. At each stumping stage of the Governorship campaign Wike will tell a story connecting his political enemies at Abuja those Rivers state citizens supporting Atiku Abubakar.
Stage 6…Rivers state Governor Wike entered into political alliance with APC Presidential candidate with South west Governors’ Forum visit to his Country Home at Rumueprikom Obio/Akpor LGA inside Port Harcourt Mega City. The Rivers state visited Lagos and Ibadan, Oyo state capital where he met with Asiwaju’s representatives and concluded deals on how to deliver Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Funds for logistics arrangements were made with the Cash crunch based on the Naira redesign policy of the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari. People were mobilized for the Rivers state project to deliver Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2023 Presidential election and shame Waziri Adamawa. Rivers state Governor Wike’s 2027 Presidential ambition was at stake should Atiku Abubakar win or Peter Obi wins too because that would have nailed Wike’s 2027 political office aspirations.