At last the coast is now cleared for the Supervising Minister for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike to occupy the Brick House come 2015 as the wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mrs. Patience Jonathan spoke on the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. Mrs. Jonathan declared that she was solidly behind, Chief Wike, to take over from the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, in 2015.
Wike, who was at a time Amaechi’s Chief of Staff, has been at loggerheads with the governor since he (Amaechi) started having a running battle with President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife.
Mrs. Jonathan, who is also from Rivers State, claimed in a statement by her media assistant, Ayo Adewuyi, that the people of the state were behind Wike and were prepared to follow him.
Though she claimed that she was not meddling in the process of selecting candidates for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, the President’s wife described Wike’s ambition as a fait accompli.
She was reacting to a news report that indicated that she was planning to install three governors in Bauchi, Bayelsa and Rivers States.
The statement partly reads, “While we consider this a figment of the imagination of the writers of the spurious story, it is also expedient to state clearly that the First Lady does not meddle in the affairs and selection process of the ruling party, the PDP.
“Consequently, there is no way she can dictate or install anybody into political offices.
“In the case of Rivers State, the First Lady wishes to state categorically that the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, is the leader of PDP in Rivers State and he enjoys the followership of the people of the state. The First Lady is solidly behind Chief Wike.
“The people of Rivers State are also solidly behind Chief Wike and are prepared to follow him.
“It is therefore mischievous to insinuate that Mrs. Jonathan is working to ensure that the governorship candidate comes from one of the riverine areas of Rivers State which may not be where the people are going.
“It is also imperative to state that the First Lady is always with the people and will continue to go with the wish and expectations of the people.
“Mrs. Jonathan has not withdrawn her support for Chief Wike at any time and will always work for the interest and the good of Rivers people. As far as the First Lady is concerned, there is no shaking in Rivers State.”
She described the report that she had abandoned Wike as the handiwork of those she called mischiefmakers, who were bent on promoting bickering and animosity among the people who had always been together working for the improvement of Rivers State. She said the report should be discountenanced.
Mrs. Jonathan also described the report that she was positioning some other candidates to take over from the incumbents in Bayelsa and Bauchi States as an attempt to pit them against the governors.
“Dr. Waripomowei Dudafa is not only a son to the President, but his member of staff and very close to the family. Dr. Dudafa is not ready to quit his job to contest governorship election. Similarly, the FCT Minister has been a competent and loyal appointee of Mr. President.
“Both of them are loyal to Mr. President and their governors. They are sons of the First Lady as the mother of the nation, who also has very cordial relationships with the governors in question and will never interfere in any process that will lead to the emergence of governorship candidates in the states.”
With the recent support shown by the wife of the president, no doubt it would chase other governorship contestants on the platform of the ruling PDP to another registered political party.
In the past few months, different socio-political groups in the states are demanding for a riverine governor in 2015.
Some of the groups advocating for a riverine or an Ijaw governor include: Kengema Unity Forum (KUF), Kalika Assembly, Ijaw Democratic Front (IDF), Ijaw Project and several others.
Speaking to newsmen penultimate week, a prominent Ijaw leader, Chief Anabs Sara-Igbe declared that if the PDP fielded another Ikwerre man as its gubernatorial candidate, there would be protest votes during the election.
The Ijaw leader insists that zoning exists in the state, that in 2015, the governor must come from the Kalabari kingdom. Adding that anything come short of that, the coast would not be cleared for the PDP to win the 2015 general election in the state. ###
