Special Correspondent, JOE EZUMA, captures the subtle strategies by APC and PDP in wooing Rivers State electorate ahead 2015.
Political activities in Rivers State ahead 2015 received a boost following a visit by National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adamu Mu’azu, to Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday, October 13.
Mu’azu was said to be on a critical assignment to the state on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan. There had been suggestions that the visit was to douse the fire of discontent currently raging in the state chapter of the party. But the visit ended up deepening the discontent in the party, igniting scramble for votes, feeling the pulse of the people with donation of N250 million to the victims of the Rumuoji Mile 1 market fire disaster of December 17, 2013 and instigating a flury of political activities in the state.
The PDP national chairman, who stopped over at the party’s secretariat on Port Harcourt-Aba Road, gave what appeared a tacit approval to the touted governorship ambition of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike. He told party faithful who had thronged the secretariat, that Wike is a “dogmatic, committed and loyal party man who demonstrated unalloyed commitment in building the party”.
Some interpreted the statement as endorsement of the Minister.
Mu’azu, however, would not want to be misunderstood. He explained: “I am by no means preempting you; you will determine that yourselves. May the will of the Almighty God be done! I commend you all for commitment to the party. I am very happy with your loyalty to the party.
“By the grace of God, your son, President Jonathan, will, after the presidential election, remain at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja. And also by the grace of God, our party will produce a new occupant for Brick House, in Port Harcourt.”
The political masterstroke
The national chairman later left with his entourage to Ojukwu Diobu Field, at Mile 1, in the Diobu Area of Port Harcourt, where he donated N250 million to the Rumuoji traders to ameliorate the hardship they had been going through since the market got burnt last year.
He told the traders that the president had asked him to make the donation on behalf of PDP, recalling that he had earlier set up a committee led by the National Emergency Maintenance Agency (NEMA) to work out the level of damage.
While the visit lasted, Wike was the man on the block, as he was lauded by Mu’azu and Rivers PDP chairman, Felix Obuah, as well as other speakers.
Wike, who spoke earlier, informed Mu’azu that the unity he had witnessed among members upon his arrival was not there three years ago. He maintained that most leaders of the party who come for the occasion would not have attended any event at the party secretariat three years ago when the PDP in the state was divided.
He emphasised: “One thing I can assure you today is that, by the special grace of God, as you go back to Abuja, don’t mind the doubting Thomases; be assured that PDP will not only win the presidential and National Assembly elections, but will also win the governorship election in 2015.”
At the traders’ empowerment reception during which Blessing Nsiegbe, representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, launched her constituency project and showcased her adult education scheme, Wike stated that the rehabilitation of the traders was not the responsibility of the federal government, but that of the state government, which had abandoned them.
Chairman of Rumuwoji Market Traders, ThankGod Ibere, who received the cheque, told Mu’azu to inform the president that before his intervention, the traders had already taken a position to vote for him and his party in 2015. He recalled that the rebuilt section of the market was initiated by former Governor Celestine Omehia before his ouster by the Supreme Court, adding that since then, the traders, who had been licking their wounds, had been sustaining themselves.
Obuah, in his welcome address, claimed that members of the party that were alienated while Governor Rotimi Amaechi was the leader of the party in the state have been re-integrated into the party. He also accused Amaechi of planting governorship aspirants in PDP in his efforts to sow the seeds of discord within the party.
Deepening the crisis in PDP
Curiously, apart from Wike, no other PDP governorship aspirant attended the event. Aspirants such as Prince Tonye Princewill, Dan Fafaa Princewill, Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, Nimi Walson-Jack, Ibinabo Michael-West, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Senator Lee Meaba, Major Lancelot Akanya (rtd), Tamuno Gogo-Sisi Jaja and Sam Powerliso Horsfall, among others, were all absent at the event.
In fact, Walson-Jack told TheNiche that he was not aware of the visit, while Princewill said he was not informed and was even out of town when he heard about it.
“I was not informed. I did not know or hear of the visit. By the time I heard it on radio, the national chairman was already in Port Harcourt. I also had no idea of the itinerary,” Walson-Jack said.
According to Princewill, who spoke through his media aide, Wabiye Idoniboyeobu: “I heard it this morning. Although I was out of town, all the key members of my campaign organisation were there to welcome the national chairman.”
Meaba also said he was not aware that the national chairman was in town.
Rivers govt fires back
In apparent bid to ensure it is not outdone over the Rumuoji market issue, the state government on Tuesday, October 14, moved machines and materials, including tractors, to the market, thereby igniting what could be described as scramble to win the soul of the traders for 2015.
Same day, Governor Amaechi received a frontline APC presidential aspirant and former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari, who was on a mobilisation tour of the state for his planned official declaration the following day in Abuja.
Buhari, while speaking at Government House, Port Harcourt, enjoined the people of Rivers to support him in his quest to contest the February 14, 2015 presidential election in furtherance to his drive to secure Nigeria and its people as well as guarantee the future of coming generations.
Stressing the need for the electorate to vote out PDP in 2015 in order for the country to enjoy enduring democratic culture and its attendant benefits, Buhari urged the Rivers people to mobilise for a progressive change in 2015.
Responding to Buhari’s speech, Amaechi extolled the inherent leadership qualities in the former head of state. He commended Buhari for his sterling qualities in a country where politics is often blurred by tribal sentiments.
“Those who describe you as a religious bigot do not know you. Frankly, I used to think that way when I was in the PDP, but all that changed when I joined the APC and had the opportunity to relate with you very closely as a politician that is truly detribalised in the true sense of the word.
“I remember the question you asked me while we were discussing the problems of Nigeria and the erroneous impression some people have about you as a religious bigot. And you asked me: how could you and Obasanjo have been tribal at the time both of you served in the Nigerian Army? Having related closely with you politically, I can say confidently that you are a nationalist and detribalised Nigerian,” Amaechi said.
“The problem that you have in politics, which I have come to observe, is that those who managed your image in the past did not handle it properly. They allowed the erroneous label of you being a religious bigot to stick. Let me take myself, for example, if you accuse me once, I accuse you 20 times and then go to the media to tell them my own side of the story.”
He promised Buhari that the stigma would now be erased with the reality on the ground as seen by the crowd that thronged the venue of his reception in the state.
“As you can see, most of those who have come to welcome you to Government House are Christians. Your supporters in Rivers State who are Muslims are not more than 10 per cent. So, you can now see that majority of your supporters here are non-Muslims. It is evident that your support base in Rivers is not based on tribal sentiments. As for us, you are a detribalised Nigerian nationalist.
“Now, you know that Christians like you. I hope that before the elections, you will have the opportunity to interact with more Nigerians to enable them know you better and appreciate the ideals that you canvass and represent. We know that you want the best for Nigerians.”
Former national chairman of the PDP and currently APC leader, Audu Ogbeh, who was on Buhari’s entourage, in his speech, said he and other prominent Nigerians were working with the General because of their conviction that he has the ability and capability to re-invent Nigeria and reverse its present course that has no consideration for the common man.
On his part, former governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, said that major assets of the APC are its constitution and its human and material endowments.
“We have a huge responsibility in 2015. We have crossed the stream; it remains the river and that river is the ancient regime masquerading as government of Nigeria,” he added.
Also on Buhari’s entourage were former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Maisari, as well as serving senators and members of the House of Representatives.