The Peoples Democratic Party PDP Presidential aspirant in Rivers state Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike lost to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a closely contested Presidential Primary election organized by PDP held at Abuja the Federal Capital Territory. Factors that made Wike to lose with 237 votes to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the winner with 371 votes may not be unconnected with his lack of decorum and tacitly practice by having harmonious relationship with Southern Governors and the delegates. First is the fact that Edo state who he installed into office with his state’s resources fell out with him, Akwa Ibom Governor Udom Emmanuel was a contestant but because of how Wike destabilized PDP in Neighbouring Cross Rivers state brought him down. In his own Rivers state where he cursed Ijaw people inside Saint Paul’s Anglican Church podium “Thunder Fire You” referring to Ijaw ethnic nationality who asked him to release one of their sons Dr. Farah Dagogo aspirants to Rivers state PDP Governorship candidate position. The Ebonyi state Governor Engr. David Umahi had discrepancies with Wike which delegates under David Umahi before his defection to APC never forgave Wike. All the above factors and sundry dislike with his mannerisms and lack of respect for Peoples culture and tradition caused Wike the elusive Presidential ticket of PDP.
He miscalculated for preventing Dr. Farah Dagogo from being screened as a governorship aspirant with Bayelsa state being the heart of Izon nation in Nigeria is the 4th ethnic nationality in Nigeria spreading from Cross River to Lagos state where Ilage Ijaws dominate the waterways and coastal communities in Edo state, Ondo state up to Lagos state matters most. Even at Port Harcourt where majority of the Northern communities reside and do business their common areas of doing businesses have been demolished including their worship edifices. Slaughter Woji Hausa community and Trailer Park at Eleme all have been demolished without serious new plans being put in place to assuage the feelings of the former occupants who have relocated to their various states in Northern Nigeria and their kits and kins who are PDP delegates from Northern Nigeria cannot forget in a hurry all the above. Worst still is the video that went viral about how Gov. Wike insulted a traditional Ruler in his state addressing him as a small boy who wears “Dan Sokoto Cloth and Uthman dan Fodio cap”. Such derogatory hate speech is a minus for a Presidential aspirant who wants political power to control all ethnic nationalities and religious groups in Nigeria.
Yes, Abia state Governor and his Enugu state counterpart support Rivers state Governor Wike that helped him a bit in garnering much electoral fortunes which didn’t out stage that of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar whose luck Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal propped up by withdrawing from the race and asked his supporters to vote for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Whether Governor Aminu Tambuwal was right or wrong to have made that last-minute campaign is immaterial but the result is a game changer for Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who would have been embarrassed by the defeat from a political toddler like Rivers state Governor Wike. It could have been a sweet revenge by Atiku’s defeat of Aminu Tambuwal at Port Harcourt in 2019 at his Homefront Port Harcourt.
Worst still is how the Rivers state Governor removed former national chairman of PDP Prince Uche Secondus who is an Ijaw by ethnic nationality. It never went down well with majority of the Ijwa people who saw the abrupt termination of the tenure of Prince Uche Secondus as an affront to the good people of Ijaw ethnic group anywhere that they are in Nigeria.
