Chief of Staff to the Rivers State governor, Chukwuemeka Woke has declared that while governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, will not impose his successor on the Rivers people, empirical pieces of evidence indicate the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will win the 2023 governorship poll.
Woke maintained that the massive infrastructural transformation and good governance Rivers State has experienced under Wike’s administration will make it difficult for any party to defeat the PDP candidates.
The Chief of Staff made the declaration while reacting to Senator Magnus Abe’s assertion that Rivers people and not governor Wike, will determine who would succeed him.
Speaking at the Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI sensitisation and mobilisation rally for the continuous Permanent Voters Card, PVC registration exercise in Abua/Odual Local Government Area on Wednesday, he stressed that the PDP governorship candidate and his deputy will defeat other candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Distinguished Senator Magnus Abe was quoted to have said that Rivers people will elect our governor and not Wike. I agree in toto with distinguished Senator Magnus Abe because Wike will not impose any governor on Rivers people. It is the duty of the Rivers people to elect their governor.
“But it is also important to state that in making that choice there are some basic empirical factors that will be considered in making that choice. Just a few days ago, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC released the names of candidates of parties and their deputies. In Rivers State seventeen names. It means that out of the eighteen registered political parties, its only one party, PRP according to the publication made by the Independent National Electoral Commission had no candidate.
“What it means is that Rivers people have seventeen persons to choose from who is going to govern them. And from the published names there, I have not seen anyone in that list that will match the calibre and capacity of the candidate and the deputy governorship candidate of the PDP.
“The standard bearer of the PDP, very intelligent, apt, very calculative, a well-known technocrat, and a seamless man.”
Woke said ‘Team Wike’ has since 2015 to date fulfilled its social contract with the Rivers people, unlike others who made promises but reneged on them.
The Chief of Staff opined that while there are several political groups in the state, “Team Wike” has consistently lived up to expectations in terms of delivery on electioneering promises.
He cited the Kpobie-Bodo Road project awarded by the previous administration and abandoned by the contractor and the Sakpenwa-Bori Road, which the second phase, from Bori-Kono waterside, is ongoing.
“In Rivers State, there are two teams. New Rivers Team, which is team Wike and the others. Even though with the political development of a few days ago, it appears that one other team is trying to metamorphose into another team. But the important thing is that team Wike has come to tell Rivers people between 2015 and 2019 that this is what I will do and Team Wike has delivered on the promises.”
“In campaigning in 2015, 2019 team Wike went to Ogoni land, precisely in Gokana and saw an abandoned project, Kpobie/Bodo road awarded by the previous administration to a contractor who abandoned it. Governor Wike promised that he was going to complete the road. He did not only dualize the road, he beautified the road with street lights. That is Team A Rivers.
“Again, Governor Wike saw the need to dualize Saakpenwa-Bori road because of the economic importance of the Ogoni axis of the State, the need to improve on the security of that area, and the need to attract companies to that area in order to create employment. He did not only promise, he dualised Saakpenwa-Bori road and today he is taking that road from Bori to Kono waterside.”
Speaking on the PVC sensitization and mobilization rally, Woke applauded the people of Abua/Odual for their high level of enlightenment and readiness for the task ahead.
He, however, assured that the ugly incident which deprived them from exercising their franchise in 2019 will not repeat itself as government will do everything humanly possible to ensure that nobody intimidates them.
“Let me assure you as a government that the ugly incidence of 2019 general elections where you mobilised yourselves, prepared to vote for the candidate of your choice, but you were deprived because of the activities of some miscreants who collided with military officers to deprive you of participating in the electoral process, will never happen again in this local government area.
“We will do everything humanly possible to ensure that nobody will come and intimidate you in Abua/Odual local government, not even any military officer will come and intimidate you again. So be firm and be ready to face the task ahead.”
In his speech, the gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Siminialayi Fubara noted that the mammoth crowd that graced the programme show the importance Abua/Odual people attach to the exercise.
Fubara said that though there exists a so-called “king Kong” in the area, a large turnout of people has conquered him.
The PDP standard bearer urged those that are yet to get their PVCs to utilize the remaining days to ensure that they register and key into the SIM project to simplify governance in the local government area.
“The only thing you need to do is to secure your PVC. You should also ensure that those that have not registered should utilize the remaining days to do so.
“You should not be afraid, what happened in the previous election will not repeat itself. Just get your SIM, maintain SIM to simplify governance, to simplify Abua/Odual local government once you key in to the SIM card.”
