Politics
Exclusive: Real reasons Why Gov. Wike lost at the PDP primaries, and fell out with Party and Atiku
How Rivers State delegates voted for Atiku during the primaries
Why Atiku is silent over Wike’s continued outburst
By Yemie ADEOYE
BARRING any last-minute moves as campaigns officially commence for the 2023 elections in Nigeria, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is bound to go into the general elections a divided party, with different factions, thereby making it easier for the ruling All Progressives Congress, and the fast-rising Labour Party at the polls.
Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike
This is due to fresh facts emerging on why River state Governor, Nyesom Wike lost at the presidential primaries of the party in May to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and has since gone on a rampage against the party leadership, especially the national chairman Senator Iyorchia Ayu.
The Governor who arguably governs the richest state in Nigeria’s oil-rich south-south region has since launched a campaign for the removal of the national chairman of the party, who incidentally is from the northern part of the country, just like the party’s flag bearer, Mr Atiku Abubakar.
Wike’s insistence is drawn from the fact that the Party’s Presidential candidate is from the Northeast zone, while the Director General of the Party’s Presidential campaign council, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state is from the Northwest, hence, for the purpose of fairness and inclusiveness the next most important office which is the national chairman should honourably go to the south. It is either this, or the party should be prepared to fail at the polls, as he threatened severally that Rivers state votes is not for charity, and that the support will only come if there is fairness, equity and oneness in the party.
Mr Wike has the seemingly staunch support of the Governors of Oyo, Benue, and Abia states, as well as former governor Donald Duke of Cross River state, and former deputy national chairman south of the party, Chief Olabode George.
However, Biztellers investigations have revealed that the major reason behind Mr Wike’s problems is not just his seemingly rambunctious attitude, but centres around his inability to honour a gentleman’s agreement between him and an array of political leaders in River’s state, especially those of the PDP extraction.
Some of these leaders are powerful in their rights and have their political interests around the state, and at the national level.
A highly placed source within the Governor’s circle informed this writer that the former Minister of Transport Dr Abiye Sekibo, and other leaders like Chief OCJ Okocha, and some other leaders have at different times approached Governor Wike to confirm if he had any candidate for the governorship primaries in Rivers state, and the Governor assured them that he had no candidate, as his interest is solely on his Presidential ambition. However, these leaders, including the Amanayabo (king) of Okochiri kingdom in Rivers state, King Ateke Tom, all tried to appeal to the Governor to make his successorship intentions known, but the governor reassured all of them that he has no such intentions and encouraged them all to sponsor their candidates of themselves if they so desired.
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It was however a rude shock to all these leaders to discover at the very last minute that the governor is not only interested in his successorship, but he is sponsoring the state Accountant General, Mr. Fubara Siminilaye, who was among other government officials recently declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC, over alleged N117 billion fraud linked to the State Government account. Fubara Siminilaye eventually won Rivers state Governorship primaries.
This move it was gathered, enraged some of these leaders, who not only control some of the party mechanisms in the state, but are also very close to the national leadership of the party, as well as the Presidential candidate of the party, Mr Atiku Abubakar, and they all immediately switched loyalty, directing their followers accordingly.
“This saw a direct blow to Governor Wike’s Presidential ambition, as over 15 of the delegates from Rivers state voted for Mr Atiku Abubakar, even as Governor Wike still won Rivers state votes during the primaries, but lost the total votes to the former Vice President.
After this blow, the Rivers state Governor also made behind the scene moves to emerge the Vice presidential candidate of the party, but these leaders from Rivers state, also joined others from within the party at the national level to frustrate any such moves, and that is part of the reason Dr Ifeanyi Okowa of Rivers state emerged as the Vice Presidential candidate of the party.”
The Presidential candidate of the party has seemingly moved on with the presidential campaign and ignored all the outbursts of Governor Nyesom Wike who had threatened that River state votes will not go to the PDP if the National Chairman of the party is not removed for a southerner, the reason behind the Mr Atiku’s silence and ignorance of the Governor’s outbursts is traced to the stoic and unflinching support of these leaders from Rivers state, who have assured the Presidential candidate of the party that Rivers state is a traditional PDP state, and no amount of threats, rantings or outburst of the governor will change the voting pattern of the state in the forthcoming 2023 Presidential elections.
Speaking further, our source stated, “The party has moved on, and the Governor better wakes up and smell the coffee, as no amount of blackmail or outburst will force the party to change all its plans in order to satisfy one man. This could be seen in the inauguration of the party’s presidential campaign council; the Governor was an ordinary member with his name as number 13 on the list. If that is not enough sign that the party has moved on, then what else do you need to see? He queried.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 election, has hit back at his former running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, insisting that he has the experience and capacity to improve Nigeria.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, said his record in the state demonstrated what he could achieve at the national level if elected president.
Baba-Ahmed, who was Obi’s running mate on the Labour Party ticket in the 2023 presidential election, had recently said that none of the politicians challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027, including Obi, could improve the country.
SEE MORE: 2027: ‘Nobody Owns Rivers Votes’ — ADC Fires Back at Wike
However, speaking in an interview previewed by Arise Television on Monday, Obi rejected the assessment, saying, “I passed through Anambra State, and I improved the state in critical areas of development. And I can do the same thing in Nigeria.”
The former Anambra governor said his administration would prioritise good governance, reduce waste and tackle corruption if given the opportunity to lead the country.
“I am sure that if given the opportunity, first I will bring civility and order in governance, and I will be able to cut costs of governance, which is irresponsible today. I will be able to do quite a number of things that will bring honour and respect to the country,” Obi said.
He also outlined some of the measures he intends to pursue, including fighting corruption, reducing waste, strengthening law and order and ensuring credible elections.
“I will fight corruption; I will deal with issues of waste, law and order, and rigging won’t take place under my watch; political parties will function, and things will be done properly,” he said.
According to Obi, national unity and security would also be among his major priorities, alongside investments in healthcare and education and efforts to reduce poverty.
“I will focus on our priorities to unite the country, as it’s not united today, and secure the country. Secondly, secure the country.
Thirdly, to ensure we prioritise critical areas of development, like health, education and pulling people out of poverty,” Obi added.
Datti’s Position
Baba-Ahmed made his comments during an interview on the Mic On Podcast hosted by Seun Okinbaloye and posted on Saturday.
“I will simply advise Uncle (Tinubu) to please prepare to hand over and move away, but not to the people contesting against him because none of them will improve Nigeria,” he said.
When asked whether he was referring to all
the opposition candidates, Baba-Ahmed replied, “Tinubu should leave the stage. All those people contesting against him, too—they were all in bed together at some point or another.”
Asked specifically whether he was referring to Peter Obi, Baba-Ahmed said, “Including Peter Obi, I’m sorry to say.”
The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has hit back at Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his prediction that ADC vice-presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi would be defeated in the 2027 election.
The ADC warned that elections are not won through boasting, intimidation or political declarations, stressing that the people of Rivers State would ultimately determine who wins at the polls.
The state chairman of the party, Chukwudi Dimkpa, made the remarks in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.
SEE MORE: ‘It’s a Lie’ — Wike’s Aide Debunks Peter Obi’s ‘No Shishi’ Claim
Dimkpa was reacting to comments reportedly made by Wike during a civic reception organised in his honour by the Ikwerre Local Government Area in Omagwa on Saturday.
Wike had reportedly stated that Amaechi would be defeated by 12 noon on election day.
But Dimkpa dismissed the declaration, insisting that the former Rivers State governor’s political fate would be determined by voters and the electoral process.
“Elections are not won by boasts, intimidation or political strongmen announcing results in advance. Rivers people will vote, the votes will be counted, and INEC, not Wike, will declare the winner,” he said.
The ADC chairman also condemned the decision to hold the political reception around the same period Amaechi was burying his mother, Dame Ezinne Amaechi, in Ubima.
According to him, Wike and the Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Area, Charles Wobodo, used the occasion to attack and taunt Amaechi while sympathisers from across the country were travelling to the community for the burial.
Dimkpa described the development as “insensitive, provocative and embarrassing.”
He questioned why Wike’s political rivalry with Amaechi could not be put aside, even temporarily, during the burial.
“If Wike could not suspend his political obsession with Amaechi even for the few hours in which the man was laying his mother to rest, then Rivers people should ask themselves who really is consumed by this rivalry,” he stated.
The ADC chairman said his party had deliberately refrained from responding immediately because its focus was on ensuring that Amaechi’s mother received a befitting burial.
He, however, warned that no individual or political leader should assume ownership of Rivers State or its electorate.
“Rivers State belongs to all of us. Nobody owns the people, nobody owns their votes, and certainly, nobody can declare an election result by 12 noon,” Dimkpa said.
He urged Rivers voters to reject intimidation and make their choice based on the candidate they believe can deliver meaningful development and improve their lives.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi State has called on Governor Francis Nwifuru to apologise to residents or resign over his recent comments concerning the 2027 general elections.
The PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Darlington Peter-Onwe, made the demand during a live radio programme on Friday, describing the governor’s remarks as capable of stoking political violence ahead of the elections.
Peter-Onwe was reacting to Nwifuru’s directive to newly sworn-in local government chairmen to ensure that the All Progressives Congress wins their respective councils in the 2027 elections or risk being removed from office.
SEE MORE: 2027: Massive Turnout as Adebutu, Iyabo Obasanjo Kick Off PDP Campaign in Ogun
“The Governor should apologise to Ebonyians or resign. He should retract the statement or step down because he has violated the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy,” Peter-Onwe stated.
“Section 14 of the Constitution explicitly provides that the primary responsibility of government is the protection of lives and property. By making such statements, he is now the one insinuating violence.”
The PDP’s reaction followed comments made by Nwifuru during the swearing-in ceremony of newly elected local government chairmen and their deputies in Abakaliki on Tuesday.
While dismissing allegations of harassment and intimidation of political critics by APC members and supporters, the governor warned opposition politicians that they would “see real threats at the right time.”
Nwifuru also charged the council chairmen to ensure that the opposition does not win their respective local government areas in 2027.
“You must not allow the opposition to win in your respective local government councils during the 2027 general elections,” the governor told the chairmen.
“Any chairman who fails to win his council will be removed from office.
“We will use your councillor and remove you.
“If you allow anybody to come to your Local Government council and mess up, deal with that person mercilessly.”
The governor further said he deliberately made the remarks publicly because politicians do not speak in secret.
“I want this information to make the headlines because, as politicians, we do not speak in secret,” he said.
Reacting further, Peter-Onwe compared Nwifuru’s approach with that of Abia State Governor Alex Otti, whom he described as an example of leadership accountability.
“Look at what Governor Alex Otti did when there was a disruption in the education sector. He came out openly and apologised, admitting that it shouldn’t have happened.
That is the true strength of a leader,” he added.
The PDP spokesperson also alleged that the governor’s comments had contributed to hostility against opposition members and media practitioners in the state.
The development comes amid growing political activities and preparations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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