The governor of Rivers State Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, cannot be ignored in the politics of Nigeria today, especially as the 2023 general elections looms in the horizon.
Wike has simply by sheer political sagacity become one of the most important political office holders in Nigeria today. The public love him, the media is in a frenzy where ever he goes. Even governors of other parties fawn over him. In short, Rivers is the new political capital of Nigeria where more politics is played than in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
Wike is the leader of the group of aggrieved PDP governors that are opposed to the continued stay in office of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, the embattled national chairman of the PDP. Their grouse is that Senator Iyorchia Ayu is from the north, with former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who emerged the presidential candidate of the party also from the North. They insist that Ayu’s continued stay in office is against the zoning arrangement of the party.
The aggrieved governors which include governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom; governor of Enugu State, Ifeany Ugwuanyi; governor of Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu; governor of Oyo State and Seyi Makinde, are collectively addressed and known as the G-5 Governors! They have become the nightmare of the main opposition party, the PDP ahead of the elections.
The last time that five PDP governors revolted against their party this way was ahead of the 2015 general election, when five PDP governors refused to support the second term bid of then President Goodluck Jonathan. They walked away from the party and that walkout was incidentally instigated and supported by Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Jonathan lost that election, despite the fact that he was a powerful incumbent president. The mighty power of incumbency could not save Jonathan after five governors dumped him.
Although the present aggrieved governors have not dumped the party like Atiku and the governors did before the 2015 elections, however, their negative public utterances do not inspire confidence in PDP supporters and the party’s presidential candidate.
The uncertainty in PDP ahead of the presidential election has made Wike the beautiful bride of Nigeria’s politics in the coming election and Rivers State has become a Mecca of sorts where different political parties’ chieftains and elected officials from outside Rivers State go to pay homage to Wike, commission projects and are televised live to the chagrin of PDP leaders and supporters opposed to the governor’s style of politics.
These widely televised visits by other political parties’ leaders including the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and presidential candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) Alhaji Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso that Wike promised to provide logistics for the duo whenever they come to Rivers State to campaign. This is even as supporters of the presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar claimed that thugs allegedly sent by the Rivers State government are tearing down the posters of Atiku Abubakar.
Recall that weeks after Wike lost the PDP presidential primary in Abuja and was passed over for the vice presidential slot of the party, the emissaries of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, led by his protégé, governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited Port Harcourt with his delegation that includes governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu and former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi which many interpreted as attempt to woo Wike to support the APC candidate.
The wooing of Wike reached a crescendo when the APC controlled federal government gave him the Distinguished Award in Infrastructure Delivery at the Nigeria Excellence in Public Service Award. In a letter addressed to the governor from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and signed on behalf of Mr Boss Mustapha, by Dr Nnamdi Maurice Mbaeri, Permanent Secretary (General Services), the award was in recognition of Wike’s giant strides in road construction and rehabilitation; construction of unprecedented 12 flyovers in the state, healthcare Infrastructure; education, health, sports, agriculture, among others, adding that Wike is fondly called Mr. Projects by many Nigerians.
The award was handed to Wike by Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja. Many political watchers believe that the award by the APC-led federal government has seriously hampered the fortunes of the party in the state led by the former minister of transportation, Mr Chibuike Amaechi. This is because many are now wondering what the APC in the state would use to campaign against Wike and PDP, when the APC leader in Abuja has described Wike as a performer. Wike has also reciprocated by showering praises on President Buhari for approving the payment of N625.43 billion 13 per cent oil derivation, subsidy and SURE-P refunds from the Federation Account between 2021 and 2022. The refunds date from 1999 to 2021. Wike disclosed that it was the refunds that he used to pay for infrastructure projects in the state and challenged other Niger Delta States to say what they did with their own refunds. This has unsettled other Niger Delta States governors who have been challenged to come clean by the indigenes of their various states.
On Saturday, Wike took the matter to another level when he awarded the G-5 Governors the highest award in Rivers among others that had left many wondering what Wike is driving at ahead of the elections in which the presidential election is pivotal. Among those honoured were eight state governors, nine former governors, lawyers and others, who have demonstrated high level of loyalty to the nation, excellence in public service, commitment to equity, equality and justice in the country and love for the government and the people of Rivers State. Those conferred with Rivers’ most prestigious award, the Grand Service Star of Rivers State (GSSRS) are Governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa) and David Umahi (Ebonyi). Others include former Governors Olabode George, Jonah Jang, Donald Duke, Ayodele Fayose, Ibrahim Idris, Olusegun Mimiko, Theodore Orji, Dr Ibrahim Dankwanbo and Adams Oshiomhole. 110 distinguished personalities, including, wives of the governors of Rivers and Oyo states, Hon. Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike and Mrs. Tamunominini Makinde; Mrs Onari Donald Duke, attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, were conferred with the Distinguished Service State of
Rivers State (DSSRS). Even though these awards were said to have been initiated by the Dr Peter Odili administration to reward excellency in the state the latest awards by Wike have raised mixed feelings. This is because there are those deserving of such awards among the recipients and those who does not deserve it. Is Wike playing 2023 politics with the awards? Time will tell.
However, whichever way one looks at it, as long as the PDP continues to prevaricate in addressing the anger of the G-5 Governors, the country will continue to focus attention on Nyesom Wike who together with the other aggrieved governors would decide whether to back presidential candidate of the APC Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu or presidential candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi or the presidential candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso among others at the expense of the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar at the February 25, 2023 presidential election.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether under the new electoral order being ushered in by the 2022 Electoral Act which provides for the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the accreditation of voters and electronic transfer of results in real time, there are still loopholes that could be taken advantage of by Nigeria’s powerful governors to influence the outcome of 2023 general election, especially the all-important presidential election.
In conclusion, nobody can outrightly win the 2023 presidential elections without the endorsement of Wike and his group of governors.
There lies their power and that is the reason why Wike is now the most powerful political figure in Nigeria.
MAY NIGERIA REBOUND
