Former governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state is now the substantive Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, courtesy of the appreciation of president Bola Tinubu to compensate him for the role he played towards his presidential victory at the February 25, 2023 presidential election. However, Wike no longer has the enormity of executive powers that he wielded as governor of Rivers state.
Clearly, former governors Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike are all indigenes of the Ikwerre tribe. Collectively, for 16 uninterrupted years these men bestrode the governorship seat of Rivers state as if it was the exclusive preserve of Ikwerre people.
The G-5, which includes Wike, Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) were at loggerheads with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the wake of the party’s presidential primary.
The current ‘war’ in Rivers state may have been started by Wike. Wike may have overreached himself to demand that the deputy governor of Rivers state should be removed and replaced by the impeached Speaker of the Rivers House of Assembly. The refusal of Governor Similaya Fubara to accept Wike’s demand may have triggered this current ‘war’ between Fubara and his godfather, Wike.
It is still fresh in the memory of history that former governor Wike led other four governors of the PDP to ‘fight’ the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, over his loss to Atiku at the PDP presidential primaries. Wike led his G5 governors group to openly campaign against Atiku in their states – they supported and openly campaigned for the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike, who lost to Atiku, believes the process was unfair and the five governors maintain that the PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, a northerner, must resign.
Beyond the drama that is currently playing out in Rivers, there are clandestine moves by power brokers from the APC and PDP to make a profit from the unfolding ‘drama’.
The PDP may have reached out to Fubara to support him against Wike. Today, the PDP governors forum, lead by Bauchi state governor, Bala Mohammed, will convene a meeting of PDP governors to weigh-in on the matter with a view to restore peace in Rivers state and also to ‘woo’ Fubara into its fold. Notwithstanding, the PDP Governors forum will have to contend with the opposing voice of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state. Makinde will speak in favour of Wike but he will be a lonely voice that will be overwhelmed by majority PDP governors.
It is public knowledge that all key appointments in governor Fubara’s government were made on the recommendations of Wike.
So far, governor Wike has been unusually quiet, this is very much unlike him. Perhaps, Wike is obeying the advise of the presidency to remain quiet on recent developments in his state. Strategically, Wike’s silence may be to enable president Tinubu take over peace building initiative with Fubara, especially to ensure that Fubara does not go back to the PDP as a godson of Wike. Of course, it is no secret that Wike ‘single-handely’ installed Fubara as governor.
That the Rivers House of Assembly now have two separate Speakers speaks a lot about the character of governor Fubara to checkmate Wike. As it is traditional in Nigerian politics, the man that is in control of access to the state’s (Cookie-jar) treasury, of course, Rivers state is very rich, will have a good leverage of control over the members of the state Assembly – perhaps Fubara will serve Wike with a dose of his own medicine! Remember, Wike applied the same strategy to render his predecessor, Rotimi Amaechi, irrelevant in the politics of Rivers state.
Finally, will governor Fubara bow to the moral support provided by the PDP Governors Forum to go back home to the PDP or will he accept the APC peace overtures and continue to play the role of an obedient godson of Wike? The coming days shall be interesting.