Issues
Wike: Emerging Champion Of South South Region
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike of Rivers State went to the ancient city of Benin, saw and faced the agents of a siege, and conquered the godfather. But he was also quick to give credit to all those who joined him in the battle to accomplish the sweet victory and reclaim Edo State for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and bring all the States in the Region under the protection of the Umbrella.
Speaking at the post-election victory press conference, in his capacity as the Chairman, PDP National Campaign Council for the Edo State Governorship polls, Governor Wike said: “I want to particularly thank my colleagues, the Governors of Delta State, Oyo State and all other persons who served in the National Campaign Council. We succeeded working as a team.
“Let me also thank the Governor of Edo State. He gave us the necessary support that has led to this victory. Also, we thank all those who worked in the campaign train in Edo State. We also appreciate the Media for the positive coverage of the election”.
Indeed, it is no longer in contention, that Governor Wike has transformed into an iconic political phenomenon, so much so that the ebullient Dino Melaye has already dubbed him “the National Governor”; a title which is sure to gain traction and national appeal in the coming weeks and months.
For many discerning political watchers and Nigerians, the Edo State Governorship election was, without doubt, Governor Wike’s election. From the very onset, he midwifed the peace and reconciliation process that led to admission of Governor Obaseki into the PDP family and his eventual emergence as the party’s flag bearer in the just-concluded Edo State Governorship election.
First, as a national leader who understands the dignity of the office of a duly elected Governor of every State, he chastised the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) for failing to speak up and protect a fellow Governor, Godwin Obaseki, though belonging to the main opposition party.
In fact, some leaders of his own party demeaned his office, embarrassed and humiliated him, as he ran from pillar to post, seeking allies and support in his battle to retain his party’s governorship ticket for the Edo guber polls, against a godfather who wanted him out at all cost.
Then, as a true patriot and party man, whose overriding objective has always been to achieve and restore the PDP to its pride of place as the Number One Party in the country, Governor Wike, recognized the bountiful dividends of embracing Governor Obaseki into the family.
He also became the matrix and torch bearer in the reconciliation and harmonization of all conflicting and contentious interests in the resolution of the party’s guber ticket candidate. He brokered peace, addressed disputes and concerns satisfactorily and ensured that all interests were accommodated.
The overwhelming success of his intervention was displayed, when all the PDP guber aspirants not only withdrew their intentions, but admirably lined up behind Governor Obaseki on the podium, as he received his flag of nomination from the party, to contest the governorship election, as the PDP candidate.
This singular achievement left the opposition completely speechless, broke the first leg of their politically unstable table and eventually led to the ignoble sacking of their national chairman and erstwhile godfather of Edo politics.
Against the backdrop of this resounding political accomplishment, the appointment of Governor Wike as the PDP National Campaign Council Chairman for the Edo election became inevitable. The magnitude of the challenge was enormous, given the extraordinary circumstances and the lingering affiliations that still defined Governor Obaseki’s membership and emergence in the PDP.
This, coupled with the fearsome prospect of ‘Federal might’ which the opposition was poised to deploy in the election, would have cowed a lesser, lily livered man, but Governor Wike was the man for the job and embraced the challenge with open arms.
Needless to say that from the moment he was announced as the PDP National Campaign Council Chairman for the Edo State Election, a vicious campaign to discredit him, by those who knew the overwhelming influence and authority his involvement in such a critical position would have on the overall election and especially on the good people of Edo State, commenced with the aid of some gullible media outlets, who would sooner learn to their chagrin, that the Rivers State Governor was not a man to trifle with.
Governor Wike also systematically embarked on a robust, well structured media charm offensive himself, highlighted by a series of selected prime time television interviews, where he quite adeptly deployed the platform to succinctly and unequivocally set the tone and mindset that would eventually shape and determine the outcome of the Edo Guber elections.
As the chairman of the PDP National Campaign Council, his appearances at the party’s state-wide rallies were usually electrifying as he galvanized the teeming crowd with his unique, charismatic, dynamic and dexterous style.
His message resonated powerfully with the people’s expectations and desires. His admonitions telling them what to do on Election Day were on point. He presented himself as an example and as a leader who will lead from the front. His presence inspired hope, enthusiasm, optimism, courage and conviction in the belief that the will of the people would always triumph over every obstacle and intimidation.
Governor Wike arrived Benin, just like the other leaders of the Opposition Campaign Council, but with his own touchdown the whole atmosphere became abuzz with excitement and a collective sense of identity, existential purpose and historical essence for the Edo people.
Members of the opposition, including those who had earlier arrived Edo for the same assignment as he, were even heard complaining loudly and bitterly that they don’t know what he is doing in the state. They were in panic.
A siege with over 300 armed policemen, complemented with armoured tank and other arsenal was hurriedly placed on his hotel accommodation premises to prevent him from stepping out; and when the Inspector General of Police called and told him to leave Edo State that his presence was likely to cause unrest amongst the people, Governor Wike’s response was classic, typical and well reported.
He then followed up his nonplussed stance with the Police IG by holding a World Press Conference at the Hi-Tech PDP Situation Room where he alerted the nation and the international community of what was going on.
He completely wrong-footed the opposition, as usual and he was always one step ahead. But the most impressive aspect of the strategy was that he appeared with both Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State and Chairman of the South South Governor’s Forum, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State who is also chairing the Southwest PDP Campaign Council, as well as other party leaders.
It was not a one-man show but a collective effort of the party, embodied by a man and leader, who has grown to become the unifier and champion of the South South Region’s political identity.
By virtue of the progressive thinking and pragmatic sacrifices of Governor Wike, the South South Region governors can now speak loudly and without fear or intimidation, with one united voice.
The objective of bringing all the South South States under one political leadership umbrella has been achieved with this overwhelming success in Edo State.
Over the years, Governor Wike has proved his enduring mettle, as a political tactician beyond doubt. In the PDP, as well as on the political landscape, he has emerged as the referential face of the party brand, not only by virtue of his widely reported sterling developmental achievements and legacy infrastructural and other projects, but also for his robust advocacy, articulation, constructive critical observations and uncensored maturity and honesty.
He enjoys a very cordial relationship with his brother governors which has attracted tremendous goodwill to him especially in the national political space, where he has achieved an impressive pedigree and comprehensive acceptance across board.
There is a saying that all politics is local and Governor Wike is a leading disciple of the localisation of politics, which not only celebrates the adage that charity begins at home but also promotes the agenda of Rivers first, which goes a long way to explain why he is passionate about the protection of Rivers lives, property and, indeed, everything Rivers.
No wonder he was welcomed back home in Rivers State, after his exertions in Edo State, by a large, jubilant crowd of Rivers sons and daughters, who had kept vigil and prayed for him, when news filtered in that the police had laid a seige on his hotel.
Rivers people and, indeed, many who followed the Edo State Governorship elections, heaved a huge sigh of relief to see their darling Governor Wike back home, hale and hearty, to continue his good works in the state.
At a time when Nigeria is in dire need of patriotic and responsible citizens and leaders, as our political life evolves, Governor Wike stands tall as one who epitomises the true characteristics of what it takes to be a great leader for his people.
Nsirim is the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Rivers State.
This is an open letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Your Excellency,
Sir, ordinarily, I would not be writing an open letter to you, but like a wise man once said, “Silence would be Treason.” So I prefer to stay alive than face the consequences of silence in the face of crime. With each passing day, and as the socio-political tides continue to turn, it has become more pertinent that more people speak up in a concerted MANNER to prevent the death of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as we appear to be, in the words of W. B. Yeats, “turning and turning in the widening gyre” heading for an end where the falcon will no longer hear the falconer
It is unfortunate that since losing control of the Federal Government, with the loss of President Goodluck Jonathan at the poll in 2015, our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has continued on a downward spiral. It is much more painful, that where it is expected that leaders within the party should rise to the challenge and put an end to this decline of our great party, some have instead taken up roles as its undertaker.
It will be hypocritical to claim aloofness to what I believe is your grouse with the PDP and I am not a hypocrite. It will be uncharitable on my part to discountenance the role you have played in strengthening the PDP from 2015 up until the last Presidential primaries of the party. It is my belief that your grouse against certain members of the party who you perceived worked against the party and abandoned it in 2015 and then came around much later to take control of the party, is justified. Also know that your decision to remain in the Party and stifle its progress on the other hand, as a sort of payback, stands condemned. For a man of your pedigree and stature, it is a dishonorable act, highly dishonorable and stands as testimony against all you claim to stand for.
At least, it can be argued that those who you hold this grudge against, abandoned the party completely and did not sit back while actively working to destroy it from within. But what then can be the argument on your own part, seeing that those you are currently working with against your party are the same people who set in motion, and executed surgically, the plans that not only ended our Party’s leadership at the centre, but ended up dislodging the first Niger Deltan to occupy Aso Rock as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces. Is this not akin to “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face?” That will be worse than folly. Let us not throw away the baby with the bath water because we do not like the soap used in bathing the baby. It will be a grave mistake.
Honourable Minister, sir, it is rather unfortunate that of all people, you have also decided to play the role of an undertaker not only for our party, but for our dear Rivers State.
I will like to take you down memory lane a little. Let me remind you of your emergence as Guber candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, against all fairness and justice in 2014. You will remember that despite the reality being that you as an Ikwerre man was poised to replace a fellow Ikwerre man in Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in our multiethnic state, Rivers people overwhelmingly stood by you and pushed for your emergence as Executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015. I dare say that your popularity in the entire Niger Delta region was at an all-time high at this point.
I want you to understand why you were loved across board leading to your eventual emergence as Governor of Rivers State in 2015; it was because when it looked like all were against the second term ambitions of the first Niger Delta man to emerge as President of Nigeria, you became not just a pillar but a beacon of resistance by standing for Goodluck Jonathan. Rivers people, as grateful and rewarding as they can be, paid you back by ensuring your electoral victory against the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) led by your predecessor. On your emergence, where there were second term Governors in the region, you, a first term Governor, was seen by the people as not just the leader of the PDP, but the leader of the entire Niger Delta region. You earned it, and no one could dispute it.
In 2019, when your re-election bid was being challenged ferociously, Rivers people once again stood solidly behind you. Many were killed in the process of defending your votes. Do you remember Dr. Ferry Gberegbe that was shot and killed while trying to protect your votes in Khana Local Government Area? There are many more unnamed and unrecognised sons and daughters of Rivers State who sacrificed their lives so that you could emerge as a second term Governor of Rivers State.
In 2022/23, Honourable Minister, you oversaw a party primary across board that saw some candidates imprisoned and internal party democracy jettisoned for your wishes, leading to the emergence of flag bearers of our party all singlehandedly picked by you. You have on more than one occasion publicly stated that you paid for all their forms. Even those shortchanged in this process licked their wounds and continued to play their roles as party members to ensure the success of the party at all levels. In what will go down as one of the most keenly contested elections in recent Rivers history, with formidable candidates like Senator Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Tonye Cole of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the vibrant youth driven Labour Party (LP), PDP emerged victorious across board except for Phalga Constituency 1 that was lost to the Labour Party. (Not that you did not loose in some other LGA’s but let’s stick to the official figures declared by INEC).
It begs the question, why then do you want to burn down Rivers State, when everyone who now holds political office emerged through a process designed and endorsed by you? Is it that you do not care about Rivers people and you are all about yourself? If so, I am forced to believe that those around you are not telling you the truth. The truth being that in a state where your words were law; where houses and businesses could be demolished or closed down without any recourse to legalities, where Executive Orders could be deployed to stifle the opposition, that your popularity is now at an all-time low. Probably because they are afraid of you, or of losing the benefits they gain from you, they fail to tell you that what you might perceive as a battle against your successor, has slowly but gradually degenerating into a battle against Rivers State and Rivers people. You know, there is a popular saying that, a man can cook for the community and the community will finish the food, but when a community decides to cook for one man, the reverse is the case.
LEAVE FUBARA ALONE
You have gone on and on about being betrayed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara. You point fingers forgetting that some of those same fingers quick to spot betrayals point straight back at you. It is not Governor Fubara that has betrayed the PDP by working against it in the just concluded General Election, and working with the opposition at the State and Federal level to destabilise the party. It is you, Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that betrayed Rivers people by instigating a political crisis with propensity to escalate ethnic tensions in Rivers State. It is you Honourable Minister. It is not Governor Fubara that has declared himself God over all in Rivers State and has no qualms with burning the state to the ground to prove a point. It is you Honourable Minister. It is you Honourable Minister who told the world that the APC was a cancer and you can never support a cancerous party. It is you Honourable Minister who ended up facilitating the emergence of the same “cancerous” APC that has accelerated the economic decline of this country and further impoverished our people with no remorse. All so you can be a Minister of the Federal Capital Territory? The lack of self awareness is gobsmacking.
Some days back I came across a video where you talked about death and how you do not cry when you hear about the death of some people because you have no idea what might have caused it considering many a politician swear “over dead bodies” and still go back on their words. Those words made me think, and I could see the reason behind them. You see, in chosing to be God in the affairs of Rivers people, you have closed your eyes and ears to reason; you see nothing and hear nothing that can cause you to rethink on the path you have chosen. In your quest to “show Fubara” you have unwittingly united a vast majority of Rivers people behind him, so much that even those who despised him because of you, now like or love him, because of you too. In your scheming, I will advise you not to forget that “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.
Note that the war which you have or are waging against Governor Fubara, has gone beyond being merely political as you might see in your minds eye. It is now one that, fortunately for some and unfortunately for others, has evolved into a war against Rivers people. It is good to point out that no one has taken a stand against Rivers people and won. No one has gone against God and won. In your defiant characteristic manner, it will be unfortunate if you believe your own hubris and that of those around you on the possibility of you being the first to successfully go against Rivers people. It will be a needless gamble; one where if you win you create more enemies for yourself than you can withstand on your political journey, and if you lose, your legacy becomes an inglorious and irredeemable one in Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and Nigeria at large. For your sake as regards posterity, it is my greatest wish that you have a moment of sobriety and a deep reflection and introspection on this path you have chosen.
Honourable Minister, sir, what is left of your legacy is on the brink of being completely desecrated and relegated to the dustbin of our political history, and it will be a sad end to what I will say has been a wonderful political career that many can only dream of. The ball is in your court, and may God Almighty have mercy on us all and forgive us for our shortcomings.
Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson
Dr Pidomson is former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt and former member, Rivers State House of Assembly.
In 2015, I made a conscious decision to invest my financial resources, my time, and energy into supporting Nyesom Wike’s gubernatorial campaign. I poured my heart and soul into ensuring Nyesom Wike emerged victorious even at the risk of my personal safety.
Again in 2019, I doubled down on my commitment. I invested a significant amount of money to procure campaign outfits for all twenty-three Local Governments Areas of Rivers State. I spared no expense in supplementing Wike’s election efforts in my own local government, and once again putting myself at great risk to safeguard the fairness and transparency of the electoral process.
However, despite my unwavering loyalty and sacrifices, I found myself abandoned and forgotten by Wike. Throughout his eight-year tenure, he failed to acknowledge my contributions or fulfill his promises and agreements. Even as a former Deputy Governor, Wike denied me my severance benefit.
My investment in Wike’s governorship was not just financial – it was a commitment of passion, dedication, and belief in a better future for Rivers State. Yet, his leadership style of dishonesty, greed, drunkenness and rash abuse of senior citizens brought me nothing but disappointment, misery and losses.
By the grace of God, today I speak not as a victim, but as a hero. I have accepted my losses, and I have moved on. And as I reflect on my experience, I cannot help but urge Wike to do the same and allow peace and development to reign in Rivers State.
Nyesom Wike, when you speak of investing in Governor Sim Fubara’s election, remember those like me who also invested in you. Remember the sacrifices I made, the risks I took, and the promises and agreements you left unfulfilled.
It is time for you, Wike, to let go of the past and allow Governor Sim Fubara the breathing space he needs to lead Rivers State forward. Allow him to focus on the challenges of good governance and the aspirations of the people. Spare him these unwarranted and ill-conceived political manoeuvrings founded on personal agenda and not for general good of Rivers State and her people.
I may have lost my investment on Wike, but I have not lost hope in the future of Rivers State. And together, we will continue to strive for a brighter tomorrow.
Long Live the Governor to Rivers State, Sir Siminialayi Fubara!
Long Live the Good People of Rivers State!!
Long Live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Engr Ikuru is former Deputy Governor of Rivers State.
Tele Ikuru
