Many watchers of Rivers politics say it is baffling and troubling that political actors in the state appear to have abandoned the stage for the Federal Capital Territory,( FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike ahead of the 2027 political phase.
Rivers has never been short of men and women who posses the art of navigating the murky waters and undulating terrains of politics. But the deafening silence occasioned by the ‘inaction’ by these men and women suggests that they may have surrendered to what may be regarded as a superior political artistry of Wike.
Where are the Amaechis, the Austin Oparas, the Uche Secondus, the Abiye Sekibos, the Lee Maebas, the Omehias, the Tele Ikurus, among many others who used to make the political environment in the state tick? Amaechi particularly has confessed his frustrations in dealing with the political antics of Wike. Throughout the eight year reign of Wike as governor of the oil rich state, Amaechi seldomly visited the state as he relocated to Abuja with his family, fearing the ruthless posture of Wike in dealing with political opponents.
The former governor re-echoed the same frustration when he arrived the state the first time with the banner of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC). While addressing supporters who thronged the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagaw, to receive him, the former minister of transportation lamented that elections are not won genuinely in the state, but by writing of fake results. He thereafter challenged the supporters to rise up to the occasion and stop politicians in the state from writing election results or he would cease from working with them.
But pray, how would the supporters stop politicians from writing results when people like Amaechi are not in the front leading the charge, like the former minister fled to Abuja for eight years for fear of Wike’s rough tackles in the political turf.
Interestingly, the FCT minister is steadily growing in confidence and seeing himself as a giant amidst many political lilliputians in the state. Anyone who listened to the minister address Rivers PDP delegates to the just concluded PDP national convention in Abuja, would assume that other politicians in the state have entered a deep hole where it is very difficult for them to navigate their way out, leaving only Wike in the saddle to dominate the political space.
At that meeting, the minister spoke like a duke addressing his courtiers, with an air of finality he presented the people with a fait accompli as to the choice of the next governor of the state. He said: “When we want to take decision(on who to become governor) if they don’t agree, I will make them to agree and how I do it is not your business. It’s politics. I will tell them why it should be so and make them to agree”
So of all the men and women of timber and caliber in Rivers State, Wike has arrogated to himself the power of deciding who will become governor in 2027 and he dared anyone who thinks that he has the financial war chest to challenge him. “I have been hearing that people are campaigning, spending money , don’t worry I will teach you how to spend money,” he thundered.
However, political pundits have suggested how to tame Wike and bring him down from the Olympian heights to which he thinks he has ascended. The analysts called on the opposition in the state to come together, put their differences aside, especially their selfish interests and present the incumbent Governor, Siminalayi Fubara as a unified governorship candidate in an ADC platform.
The analysts suggested that Governor Fubara should be encouraged to abandon the APC where as it stands the governor has a very slim chance of emerging as the candidate. According to the analysts, it would be very easy to sell Governor Fubara to the Rivers people, than any fresh candidate especially given that Governor Fubara has started well and would have done better than he might have done if he had a stable atmosphere to govern.
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Besides, Governor Fubara has won the hearrts of the workforce and public servants in the state by not only releasing promotion to the different cadres which was denied them before his ascent to power, but also paying Christmas bonus of a N100,000 each to all state government employees including the retirees.
Again, the mass of Rivers women under the banner of Rivers Women Unite for Sim,(RIVWUS) are already queuing behind the governor as well as other support groups, especially the Simplified Movement all of which were forced to shut down in deference to Wike’s whims and caprices. The groups and others which would spring up would form a mass following which no force would be able to eclipse, the analysts reasoned.
Interestingly, Governor Fubara has demonstrated some measure of transparency by publicly disclosing the state’s monthly internally generated revenue and vowing that he would not borrow a dime to execute projects based on the inflows from the internally generated revenue and FAAC allocations. Such inflows were shrouded in opacity through out the years Wike held the reins of power in the state.
Moreover, the persecution of the governor by the Wike backed state legislature would sway the sympathy of many Rivers residents anytime the governor climbs the podium to tell his story in a campaign ground. Governor Fubara was on the path to unify all Rivers politicians and people by relating equally with them, but Wike was bent on division and exclusion and even accusing the governor of embracing those he said did not partake in enthroning him.
While presenting Governor Fubara as a unified governorship candidate, the pundits also suggested raising credible young people to stand as House of Assembly candidates to provide strong legislative backing unlike what Amaewhule and his cohorts are doing against the governor with Wike’s backing.
The pundits say having Governor Fubara return with the same crop of recalcitrant lawmakers would still encumber the governor’s performance and retard progress in the state, hence efforts must be made to flush out most of the current legislators,and replacing them with people who have a mind of their own and disposed to working for the peace and progress of the state.
According to the analysts, Wike has said that Governor Fubara’s return to power as governor would mark his political demise, Rivers people should say amen to that and prevail on the governor and the opposition to form a united front to bury Wike politically.
