…Kalabari Politicians Meet
…Rivers Ijaws Threaten
Fire, Brimstones
Fresh crisis seems to rock the Rivers State chapter of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the gubernatorial ambition of the Supervising Minister for Education, Chief (Barr.) Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike.
The Federal Minister is said to have nursed the ambition to step into the Brick House in May 29, 2015. This single political ambition of the Ikwerre born grassroots politician has caused a deep crack in the leadership of the state PDP.
Some of the executive officers of the party at the state level have declared that they would not throw their weight behind Chief Wike in the actualization of his governorship ambition.
While other officers led by the party chairman, Chief Felix Amaechi Obuah have vowed that nothing would stop the Supervising Minister for Education from contesting the 2015 gubernatorial election in Rivers State.
Chief Obuah is not a proponent of zoning of political offices in the state. Thus in several fora he has announced to Rivers people that zoning does not exist in the state. Beside, the existence of the zoning principle, Wike contributed much to the emergence of Obuah as the chairman of the Rivers PDP. This is the time for the payback.
The deep crack in the party over Wike’s gubernatorial ambition might lead to suspension of officers who fail to support the Education Minister’s intention to rule Rivers State.
Wike has been mobilizing grassroots support for himself and that of the president through a formidable socio-political group known as the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI). This group moves from local government to local government to galvanize support for Wike pending when he will finally spring up to kick start his gubernatorial campaign.
No doubt Wike has support across the length and the breadth of the state. If the Minister has finally made up his mind to aspire, the faction of the leadership of the party which vehemently opposing his ambition cannot stop him.
All the political structures within the party across the twenty-three (23) belong to the Federal Minister.
According to one of the party executive members who spoke to our political correspondent, Wike has worked for the growth of the party. That with this contribution whatever thing he asks from the party must be given to him.
Another party officers who pleaded anonymity said that their reasons for opposing Wike’s gubernatorial ambition is that Rivers State does not only belong to the Ikwerres.
“Ikwerre man in person of Governor Amaechi has been in government since 2007, as a governor. So it will be very foolish for any politician to support a gubernatorial aspirant from Ikwerre extraction”, the party officers said, saying that the state is divided into two political zones the upland and the Riverine, “therefore since Governor Amaechi is an uplander, justice and equity demand that the next governor of Rivers State must come from the Riverine”.
In a similar development, some politicians from the Kalabari ethnic nationality met in Port Harcourt, last week. They brainstorm on several hours of the recent political development in the state and that of the perceived gubernatorial ambition of Chief Nyesom Wike.
They vowed not to allow the governorship seat to move to the Ikwerre land. According to them the Kalabaris would join other ethnic groups to work assiduously to stop Wike from contesting.
Meanwhile, the Ijaws in Rivers State are threatening fire and brimstone if they were not given the chance to produce the next Governor of Rivers State. They declared that no Ijaw governor, no Rivers State” and appealed to all the registered political parties to zone the governorship seat to the Riverine area for purposes of equity and fair play. ###
