A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has appealed to Rivers State state people not to repeat the same mistake of 2015 in the 2027 general elections.
Eze, said that the political and developmental challenges confronting the state today are the direct consequences of the decision taken during the 2015 governorship election for ignoring the passionate appeal of then Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, who urged Rivers people to reject Nyesom Wike at the polls.
In a statement made available to newsmen on Tuesday, Eze said Amaechi had warned that the choice before Rivers people in 2015 was between light and darkness, as he presented the APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, as a visionary leader with the competence, character, and capacity to sustain the remarkable developmental strides recorded from 2007 to 2015.
Unfortunately, Eze stated, that through the influence of powerful political forces at the centre, Rivers State ended up on a path that has brought over 11;years of stagnation, division, insecurity, institutional decline, and the dismantling of many of the visionary programmes that once made Rivers State a model of development in Nigeria.
He maintained that history has since vindicated Amaechi’s position, noting that Peterside’s outstanding performance as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), clearly demonstrated the quality of leadership Rivers State lost in 2015.
According to him, had Peterside been elected as governor, Rivers State would have consolidated on the developmental foundation laid by the Amaechi administration and emerged as one of Africa’s leading sub-national economies.
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The ADC chieftain lamented that Rivers State has witnessed years of political instability, abandoned policies, weakened institutions, and avoidable crises that culminated in the unprecedented declaration of a state of emergency through the acts of Wike—an unfortunate development that brought national embarrassment to the state.
He further accused the Wike administration of systematically dismantling several legacy projects and reforms initiated during Amaechi’s tenure, particularly in education, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment, and security.
He argued that rather than building on existing achievements, successive administrations chose the path of political vendetta at the expense of the collective interests of Rivers people.
Speaking on the 2027 governorship election, Eze condemned in strong terms what he described as Wike’s repeated boast of determining who becomes the next governor of Rivers State.
“No individual, regardless of his political influence, owns Rivers State. The era of political godfatherism must come to an end.
“Any attempt by anyone to impose a governor on Rivers people is not only undemocratic but a direct assault on the sovereignty of the electorate. Rivers people must reject such a devilish agenda with every democratic means available to them,” he declared.
Eze recalled that since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the governorship of Rivers State has largely remained within the upland axis through the administrations of Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nyesom Wike, who together governed the state for 24 years.
He therefore described attempts to perpetuate power within the same political circle as unjust, divisive, and contrary to the principles of equity, fairness, and inclusion that have sustained peace in the State.
He argued that Rivers State now has a historic opportunity to restore justice and rebuild public confidence through the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he described as the credible political platform established by patriotic leaders, including Amaechi, to rescue the state from years of political oppression and misrule.
Eze expressed confidence in the leadership qualities of Gabriel Pidomson, the governorship candidate of the ADC, describing him as intellectually sound, widely exposed, experienced, and adequately prepared to provide purposeful leadership for Rivers State.
He therefore appealed to Rivers people not to repeat what he described as the costly mistake of 2015.
“The people now know better. They have experienced the consequences of placing personal ambition above the collective interest of the state.
“The 2027 election presents another opportunity to restore hope, rebuild institutions, and return Rivers State to the path of progress,” he stated.
