THOUGH Nigeria’s electoral umpire, the
Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria,
INEC, is yet to blow the whistle signaling the
commencement of the 2015 governorship
election in Rivers State, the political weight of the
various gubernatorial aspirants in the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, has indicated that the
race would not be bereft of damning surprises.
With the post-electioneering mood in the party,
on its way to becoming tensed following the
actions and inactions of some aspirants, many are
not in doubt that the eventual outcome of the
governorship primaries might make or mar the
party in the state.
Those who have indicated
interest to partake in the race
on the PDP platform include
Minister of State for
Education Nyesom Nwike,
Senator Lee Maeba, former
Commissioner on the Board
of the Rivers State
Independent Electoral
Commission, RSIEC, Mr.Nimi
Walson Jack and Chief Dumo
Lulu-Briggs.
Other names that have also
emerged are the Deputy Speaker of the Rivers
State House of Assembly, Mr. Leyii Kwanee, Mr.
Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, Prince Tonye Princewill and
Mr. Emmanuel Georgewill.
Notable among the aspirants is Nwike whose rise
to political stardom has been described as
geometric.
While others interested in the position have not
been too visible in their strides towards occupying
the plum seat, Nwike’s ambition is an open secret.
Already, the Chairmen of the PDP in the 23 local
government areas in the state have endorsed
Nwike.
In a resolution signed by the 23 Chairmen, under
the platform of the Forum of PDP Local
Government Chairmen, Rivers State, the group,
however, said it recognized the constitutional
right of every qualified PDP member to contest
the governorship and other primary elections in
Rivers State.
They noted that special circumstances exists in
Rivers caused by the fact that the PDP is not in
power and if the party is to win the 2015 elections
and take over the Government House, Port
Harcourt, then the party must field the best and
most competent governorship candidate,
irrespective of where he hails from.
This move, which does not seem to have the
approval of most party chieftains, who worked for
the election of President Goodluck Jonathan, has
corroborated the perception that he has hijacked
the Chief Felix Obuah-led executive.
Also, the minister’s utterances lately, have not
helped him either, as analysts find some of the
statements in conflict with the collective goal of
the national leadership of the party towards
winning the election.
Wike had, while addressing newsmen recently at
his Port-Harcourt residence, said that all the
party’s governorship aspirants in the state put
together cannot defeat him in their various
wards.
He said: “I read a lot of things where people say it
is our turn to produce a governor. Assuming what
they are saying is correct, does is stop another
person from running? What it means is that you
should face the person in an election. That is the
important thing. Most of them who say it is zoned
to them, can they win in their local government
areas?
”I can tell you that if I declare to run today,
nobody, of all those that are clamouring that it is
their turn, will win me in their wards. So, if you
can’t win me in your ward, which person’s zone
do you want to use to win the election? For
example, in Ogoni where we have Tai, Khana,
Gokana and Eleme, those who want to run under
PDP, which of them can win me?
“Come to the riverine area, those who want to run
there, I hear one Rtd Major Anyanya, which one?
He won’t win me in his ward, if I want to run.
Come to Opobo, who wants to run? Come to
Bonny, who wants to run? Come to Akuku-Toru; I
read yesterday Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack says he
wants to run; Walson-Jack, Dumo Lulu-Briggs,
Tonye Princewill, one Emmanuel Georgewill;
which of them will beat me in their various wards
if I want to run?”
He further said: ‘’This is my game; I have been
chairman since 1999. There is nobody that I don’t
know in the various wards. You know that I
headed the campaign of Amaechi in 2011. Is there
any ward, any local government that I cannot call
the politicians in each of the wards? I am not
talking about the local governments, in each of
the wards”.
While the minister’s ambition is in line with his
constitutional rights, it is the opinion of observers
that being of the same Ikwere extraction with the
incumbent Governor Rotimi Amaechi might affect
the fortunes of the party ahead of the polls if he
gets the PDP ticket.
Those who hold this view are not ignorant of the
party’s statement that it had not zoned the
governorship to any senatorial district, but the
general clamour for power to shift to Ogoni land
has put question mark on his aspiration.
A party member who spoke on the condition of
anonymity said, “Wike’s desperate aspiration to
succeed Amaechi in 2015 has divided the PDP in
the state, forcing most chieftains and leading
lights of the party in the state, including Senator
Lee Maeba, Dr. former Minister of Transport, Dr.
Abiye Sekibo; former Deputy Speaker of the
House of Representatives, Prince Chibudom
Nwuche, and others to shun the activities of the
party.”

cidieschat: www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/rivers-pdp-nwike-road-2015/

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