By Emeka Alex Duru
The second term victory of Rivers governor, Nyesom Wike, may not be as important to the state as the new lease of life which the traumatised citizens, hope to experience, henceforth with the conclusion of the governorship polls in the state. While the build-up to the 2019 general elections gathered steam, Rivers was among the states that many had entertained fears on how the exercise would pan out. This was on account of the trademark tension and violence that had come to characterise elections in the state.
Incidentally, the gladiators in the state’s politics did not disappoint those that had this fear. They rather lived up to the billing, attracting to the state, further odium as Rivers of blood, on account of violence and accompanying deaths that trailed the election. Consequently, election and collation of results in the state, were put on hold.
When the collation eventually resumed close to a month after the election and Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner over the governorship candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Biokpomabo Awara, on Tuesday, April 3, many enthused that the days of the long knives in the state’s politics, may have come to an end.
Though the AAC and Awara, were seen as the faces that wrestled with PDP and Wike, the party and its candidate, were mere proxies of a section of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state and the Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, with whom the governor has been on running battle since the run-up to the 2015 politics.
On account of controversial primaries by two factions of the APC in the state – led by Amaechi and Senator representing Rivers South East senatorial district, Magnus Abe, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), had disqualified the party from fielding candidates in all the elective positions in the state from the state to the national level. Not even the strenuous efforts of the APC handlers in the state and the national level in pursuing the matter up to the Supreme Court, could salvage the situation for the party. Miffed at the situation and not wanting to watch developments in the state from the sidelines, Amaechi, egged Awara and his ragtag AAC to give the governor a challenge. With his political structure reportedly placed at the disposal of Awara, he seemed to attract attention.
With the collation of results put on hold, the AAC flag bearer, pranced about, claiming that his declaration as the winner of the poll, was a matter of days away. Perceptive analysts however knew that he was merely grandstanding, given that he and his party, lacked the roots and clout in Rivers politics.
Things eventually began to turn awry for the AAC when its Deputy Governorship Candidate, Akpo Bomba Yeeh, on March 25, withdrew from the election, resigned his membership of the party and joined the PDP. “That was when it became obvious that the game was up for Rotimi Amaechi and his gang. That was when it dawned on them that their agenda at turning Rivers into a killing field would not work, any longer. That was when the battle was won and lost”, declared Boma John, a lawyer and Rivers State indigene, in an encounter with our correspondent. The outcome of the election in favour of Wike, did not come to many as a surprise.
What next after poll?
What observers however seek to know is how Wike intends to manage his victory. John has asked him not to toe the line of vengeance. According to him, “Wike should concentrate on delivering good governance to the state. Whatever that came with the election should be left behind. The time for politicking should be over. It is now time for governance. I will advise him not to toe the line of vengeance but to focus on the larger picture, which is rendering service to the people. Rivers has had enough of blood shed”.
The governor, in his victory speech, alluded to this. He even succumbed to emotion while talking of those who had lost their lives in defence of transparent election in the state, stressing that he was dedicating his victory to them and all lovers of democracy. If this is the path Wike intends to tread, he would be putting the state on the line of recovery from its recent sordid past. He would also be establishing himself as a leader for all in the state. Since he fell apart with Amaechi, his erstwhile soul mate, in 2014, Rivers has not had genuine peace. While the crisis brewed, Amaechi was the governor, while Wike was Minister of State (Education). Both were then in PDP. But following the disagreement between Amaechi and the then President Goodluck Jonathan, the former left PDP for APC. Wike did not decamp. He rather stayed behind and rallied support for Jonathan in Rivers.
At the 2015 governorship election, he picked PDP ticket and defeated Amaechi’s anointed APC candidate, Dakuku Peterside, current Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). The Minister is yet to get over that shock and had consequently programmed the 2019 election as an opportunity to get even with the governor. Internal squabbles in his party however denied him the chance for a full blown battle with Wike.
The temptation, will thus, be for the governor to go for the kill, having triumphed over the Minister again. Analysts however caution against that, warning that it would simply mean waste of time and energy. For them, his reelection, has shown that his victory in 2015 was not a fluke. It has rather confirmed his acceptance by the people and imposes on him, the demand of rendering service to them. Any other thing to the contrary, would amount to mere shadow-boxing, they remark.
