Since Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State lost out in securing the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket and vice presidential position, he has successfully rallied some of the party’s governors to his side in anger. Perhaps to avoid a repeat of the fate that befell the party in November 2013 when it lost five serving governors to the then opposition All Progressives Congress, its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, needs to make some concessions, writes Ejiofor Alike
The outcome of the presidential primary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergence of the party’s running mate had obviously humbled Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.
Since he rode on the back of the goodwill of the people of the state to win his second term bid despite the massive federal forces deployed in the state to rob him of victory in the 2019 general election he has spared no one.
As soon as he settled down for governance, he started his unrestrained verbal assaults on his fellow governors; his party, the PDP; the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and even traditional rulers.
Wike established a reputation as the only governor whose pastime was to launch attacks on his colleagues and also interfere in the internal affairs of his party in other states.
He was alleged to be behind the crisis in the Cross River State PDP, which forced Governor Ben Ayade to dump the party for the APC. Before Ayade’s defection to the APC, Wike was said to have insinuated that he was behaving like someone who was allegedly involved in advanced fee fraud, better known as 419. He equally insulted other governors by accusing them of not announcing publicly that the federal government had refunded them for the federal roads they constructed.
When Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State defected to the APC, Wike did not spare him. He boasted that he and the PDP were the masterminds of the Abuja High Court judgment on Umahi’s defection, a comment which Umahi described as a sign of “illiteracy.”
In his response in March, the Ebonyi State governor had expressed dismay over Wike’s outburst and behavioural disposition towards issues of national interest.
“You heard him on Channels TV boasting that he is behind the court case – a mere man that depends on the breath of God; I pity illiteracy. It’s a shame. You are boosting to remove another governor.
“What qualifies you just because you are packing money that is public fund? Not intellectual material but by just packing money from public funds and you are boasting about it. Otherwise, who were you?” Umahi queried.
Wike had also in March thrown caution to the wind when he described Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State as a serial betrayer. He said: “If you ask anybody or check the DNA of Obaseki, you will discover that he is a serial betrayer and an ungrateful person. I apologise to Oshiomhole, who told us about Obaseki,” the Rivers governor said.
Obaseki incurred Wike’s wrath by protesting against his attack on his deputy, Philip Shaibu.
Wike had first publicly tongue-lashed Shaibu for threatening to dump the PDP. Wike said Shaibu lacked the effrontery to threaten to dump the PDP.
He wondered how a “mere” deputy governor who begged for the PDP ticket and even lost his local government area during the election in 2020, should have the guts to threaten to dump the PDP. Reacting to the attack on his deputy, Obaseki described Wike’s comment as “most unfortunate and totally uncalled for,” warning that Edo State has a history of dealing with bullies. Wike did not spare the ruling APC.
He had also described the ruling APC as a cancer at stage four, which can kill.
The governor was responding to a call by the Minister of Niger Delta, Godwill Akpabio for him to dump the PDP for the APC.
But in a swift response, Wike said: “I prefer to stay where there is malaria than to go to where there is cancer. Cancer at the fourth stage, you are likely to die. So, I don’t want to die now”.
Wike and Akpabio were speaking at the inauguration of a new police headquarters in Rivers State where the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo represented President Muhammadu Buhari in September 2021.
The Rivers State governor had earlier in April boasted while canvassing support from the party’s delegates in Benin, Edo State, that he would never accept the position of vice president in 2023.
But after losing the presidential ticket to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Rivers State governor was alleged to have lobbied to become his running mate. However, Atiku opted for Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Many politicians believe that it would be difficult for anyone to settle for Wike as his deputy.
Speculations that he was planning to defect to the APC first emerged when he hosted Umahi, one of the victims of his verbal attacks. Wike had also hosted other leaders of the APC such as Governors Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State. He later invited Sanwo-Olu and the Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who are close allies of the presidential candidate of the APC, Senator Bola Tinubu to inaugurate projects in Rivers State.
Speculations of his imminent defection to the APC heightened with his reported meeting with Tinubu in London on Wednesday. With the huge resources at his disposal, Wike is not alone. His allies include: Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State; Samuel Ortom of Benue State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, as well as many former governors and ex-ministers.
Many of these governors pitched tent with him to avoid crisis in their states. Some of these governors reportedly attended the London meeting. Many believe that it is late for Wike or any of these governors to defect to the APC due to their ambitions to seek re-election, install successors or go to the Senate on the platform of the PDP in 2023. But they can play a spoiler-game to truncate the success of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election.
The PDP lost the 2015 presidential election due largely to the defection of five of its governors to the APC. Wike and his allies may not defect but may choose the option of working against the party’s presidential candidate.
The PDP and Atiku should quickly make concessions to pacify Wike and his camp to avoid another calamity for the party.
Asking the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign as demanded by the camp will not amount to too much sacrifice if it can guarantee victory for the party. The main opposition party needs a united house to confront the ruling APC in the 2023 general election.
Atiku’s reported meeting with the Rivers State governor in London on Thursday was a right step for genuine reconciliation.
