Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is said to be in dilemma over the several protests against Chief Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike’s ambition to occupy the Brick House in 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as opposition against Wike’s zeal is increasing by the day, which indications posits might weakens Wike’s chances in favour of the riverine agitators.
A chieftain of the Opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state Gospel M. Amadi who disclosed this to The Newswriter in Port Harcourt said the governor might be in dilemma on either giving the APC flag to the riverine or upland candidate of his choice, contemplating that the candidacy of Barr. Wike could be a ploy by the PDP to distract the governor and its APC agenda.
According to Mr. Amadi, if proper attention is not taken the opposition APC may meet its waterloo if allowed to go the way and manner it is going, since the PDP is battle ready for victory in the state.
The APC chieftain who also expressed fear over the election of a riverine indigene as chairman of the party at the state level considers the chances of APC giving its governorship slot to a riverine candidate as very slim, adding that except otherwise the APC governorship slot shall fall on the upland.
He said, “It has not happed in politics that a party chairman in a state would emerge from the same area with the governor. Now, come to think of it, whether Senatorial District, Riverine and Upland or Ethnicity whichever way, now that the party has chosen its chairman, the governor ought not to come from the same dichotomy with him.”
“Some of us are worried over the kind of politics we are into, we blamed the PDP of highhandness now we are doing the worst, but one thing is sure that what had not happed cannot be done in our own time, APC cannot change the noble system that has been in operation elsewhere, so we are watching.”
Amadi further hinted that if reports of their investigation is something to go by, then the PDP may have played them into a serious crisis, noting that PDP is a master of the game irrespective of their claims of knowing the PDP antics.
He however, advised the governor to yield to instructions and redirect the party if APC must be on the path to victory.
On his relationship with the party leadership in the state, Gospel dismissed every insinuations making the round of his disloyalty to the party, saying that he is in support of the party leadership, but maintained that what is wrong must be corrected by the people.
He noted that if the party yearns for change and did not give the governorship slot to the riverine or the South-East Senatorial District then its aspirations is in no way different from the criticized ruling PDP, claiming that everything is wrong in a situation where the governorship candidate emerges from the same district or platform with the party chairman.
He averred that in such situation, the party should be ready to witness a split and mass exodus possibly back to the ruling PDP.
The vocal party chieftain of the APC reminded his party of the PDP heavy weights and powers stressing that APC claims cannot undermine the PDP when it comes to structures and strategies of winning elections.
To buttress his fears, Amadi stressed that most of the people the APC branded as theirs at the grassroots are not, positing that the council chairmen are insensitive to the plights of the people, hence there is a big hurdle to cross if the party is to forge ahead. ###
