In the past few months, the political terrain in Rivers State has been shrouded with uncertainties, following the endorsement of Chief (Barr.) Ezebunwo Onyesom Wike, the Supervising Minister for Education as the next Governor of Rivers State come 2015 by the various ethnic groups in the state.
Though the endorsement has been kicked against by some notable politicians in the state.
On Tuesday prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe declared that zoning system exists in Rivers State. According to him 2015 is the turn of the Kalabaris to produce a ‘Governor. Adding that after the Kalabaris the Ogonis will take their turn.
He warned that if Chief Wike picked the gubernatorial ticket on PDP platform, the electorate in Rivers State would vote against the ruling party.
On Monday, a former local government chairman in one of the Ijaw speaking LGAs in the state said that the riverine communities will not accept an Ikwerre man as a governorship candidate in 2015, election. According to him, the state does not belong to the Ikwerres only, “we have other ethnic nationalities”.
“We are working seriously to ensure that, Chief Wike does not pick the governorship ticket.
We don’t want to mortgage the lives of our children. I strongly believe that Wike will soon be dumped by the Presidency,” the ex-council chairman said.
No doubt politics is all about interest, greed and conspiracy. Politics is not a matter of brotherhood. As some riverine politicians’ are clamouring for the governorship seat in the state, others are scheming to be picked as the deputy governor.
This divided aspirations have no doubt will jeopardize the Kalabaris’ dream of producing a governor in 2015.
However, those who are nursing the deputy governorship ambition from the Kalabari ethnic nationality according to our finding are: Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji, Chief Precious Elekima, Alabo Paweriso Samuel Horsfall, Chief Hon. Ibinabo Michael West, Opunabo Inko-Tariah and Hon Ojukaye Flag Amachree.
We do not know the reason while these prominent Kalabari politicians made a sudden u-turn to eye the deputy governorship seat. According to political pundits, they knew that it would be very impossible for the Kalabaris to produce a governor considering the on-going political events within and outside the state. According to Chief Emma Anyanwu, the Kalabaris have their finest hour in 1999, but lost to Peter Odili.
Though we cannot as certain a governorship aspirant they want to deputize, but information reaching our political desk revealed that some of them are fraternizing with the Federal Minister for Education, Chief Ezebunwo Wike, while others are identifying with Senator Magnus Abe or other governorship aspirants outside the Ikwerre ethnic nationality.
Our political correspondent after closely monitored the activities of these Kalabari politicians that are gunning for the number two (2) seat of the state presented their brief profiles.
DR. EMI MEMBERE-OTAJI: He is a medical doctor and a former commissioner for Health in Rivers State under Peter Odili’s administration. He later served as an Adviser on Privatization to ex-governor Odili. Several years ago, Dr. Membere-Otaji contested for the Federal House of Representatives, but lost. Currently he is the Director of Princess Medical Centre, Port Harcourt, and also a businessman.
He is a grassroots and a boardroom politician. He has been in a cooler since 2007, but suddenly emerged in the political terrain, and attended the ASALGA Stakeholders meeting organized by the ASALGA PDP.
CHIEF PRECIOUS ELEKIMA: He is a politician of great repute. He is from Akuku-Toru Local Government Area. He has been in politics for years and contributed so much in the political development of the state. He featured prominently during Peter Odili’s regime, and today he is a chieftain of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI). Chief Elekima is working closely with the federal education minister and from all indication he may be favoured.
ALABO PAWERISO SAMUEL HORSFALL: He was a former Commissioner in the state, and a one time member of the Federal House of Representatives. Sometime ago, he contested for the gubernatorial seat, but could not make it. Though he is one of the advocates of Kalabari governor in 2015, but few months ago, he was seen at the inauguration ceremony of Ogu/Bolo chapter of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI). He is a politician from Asari-Toru Local Government Area.
CHIEF IBINABO MICHAEL WEST: He was a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly. While in the Assembly he performed well in terms of human capacity and infrastructural development within and outside his constituency. Chief Michael-West is one of the advocates that believes in emergence of a Kalabari Governor in 2015. But currently, he is a strong member of GDI, a political campaign outfit for Chief Wike.
MR. OPUNABO INKO-TARIAH: He is very new in politics. In 2011 he contested the House of Representatives but was defeated by Dr. Dawari-George. Of recent he involves in the political activities. Though a member of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and is yet to defect to the ruling PDP. Nobody knows the political platform, he is coming out with. There is possibility that he will pitch his tent with the camp of APC.
HON. OJUKAYE FLAG AMACHREE: He is the current chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area. The information we gathered, he might likely deputize Senator Magnus Abe. He is a grassroots mobilizer and understands the intrigues of Rivers politics. Hon. Flag Amachreee is a very strong member of the APC. Without him APC cannot stand in Asalga. If picked by Senator Abe as running mate as speculated in some quarters, he will give a fight to PDP members in the Kalabari axis of the state.###
