Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
The intrigues that characterise the politics of Rivers State are not new to any keen observer. Right from the 3rd republic that produced Chief Rufus Ada-George as governor in 1992 to the 7th republic that saw the emergence of Chief Nyesom Wike as governor in 2015, Rivers State has not enjoyed a confusion and controversy-free politicking. The peculiar terrain of the state, underscored by her riverine-upland status and the resultant dichotomy, coupled with her huge, multiple-interest-attracting oil and gas deposit, are believed to be among the factors responsible for this, hence the greedy crave by politicians and political parties to always hijack the soul of Rivers State, most times with external factors playing key roles in this quest.
What is happening in the current political dispensation in the state where major gladiators are fighting tooth and nail to take over the government this year is therefore not surprising. Just as in 2015 when the two major political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and then minister of state for education, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike respectively were at each other’s jugular, the prelude to this year’s forthcoming general election has also seen political parties throwing verbal salvos and legal bullets at one another.
While the Rivers State governor and candidate of the PDP for next year’s governorship election, Chief Nyesom Wike, is alleged to be working hard to return unopposed as a consensus candidate of all the political parties, his supposed major opponent and governorship candidate of the APC, Pastor Tonye Cole and his faction of the party are in a battle for survival as the platform and process through which he emerged have become subjects of litigation. With the Supreme Court annulling APC’s ward, LGA and state congresses and Governor Wike and his PDP succeeding in getting the courts to declare that APC has no candidate, resulting in INEC excluding APC’s candidates in its latest list, Cole’s candidature and governorship dream may have ended as a mere mirage.
Although Cole’s faction of the APC has taken their case to the Supreme Court –the final arbiter- for the umpteenth time, whispers are rife in some quarters that the Abonnema-born architect from Jack’s compound is considering joining another party as an eleventh-hour alternative, a move analysts believe is already belated. Rumour merchants claim that Cole’s complicated dilemma is the main reason why he’s not releasing funds, contrary to the expectations of his supporters who had initially thought that the billionaire businessman will be extravagant with money.
But while bookmakers are anxiously waiting for the final scene of the epoch-making APC ‘tragicomedy’ to play out at the Supreme Court’s amphitheatre, there are feelers that all is not too rosy in Governor Nyesom Wike’s PDP camp despite the earth-shaking speeches, bogus promises, hate taunts and ‘superman’ postures which informed sources believe are mere smoke screen.
To a large extent, the words and actions of the governor show that he is not too confident of having an easy ride to victory in next year’s governorship election, notwithstanding his power of incumbency. His consistent outcries against the APC-controlled federal government, the security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as allegations of a plot to intimidate him during the forthcoming elections, are characteristic of a man on edge.
Though some see Wike’s antics as a pre-emptive mind game strategy, the busting of the Rivers Neighbourhood Watch training exercise at Nonwa, Tai Local Government Area, by men of the Nigerian Army, may not be unconnected with the Buhari-led government’s plan to check Wike’s perceived excesses in the forthcoming general elections, thus lending some credence to the Rivers governor’s incessant allegations of federal might being employed to intimidate him and his party during the elections. Critics believe that the Rivers Neighbourhood Watch was set up to do the dirty job for Governor Wike and his party during the general elections. The governor’s vehement condemnation of the soldiers’ disruption of the Neighbourhood Watch training and daring threat to continue the exercise in government house attest to the importance he attaches to the project.
Moreover, Governor Wike’s attitude to the crisis ravaging the Rivers APC exposes his desperation to forestall every opposition and have a smooth ride in his re-election journey. No doubt, getting a High Court to declare that the Rivers APC has no candidates for the forthcoming elections is a smart way to take advantage of a party’s self-inflicted injury punished by a Supreme Court judgment but taking such steps to stop another party from fielding candidates in a contest that is supposed to be open to all parties is seen by some as an interference borne out of fear of the challenge posed by that opposition party, hence the desperation to avert it before the contest.
Rumour mills are awash with claims that Governor Wike has bought over the governorship candidates of about 48 political parties with the hope that they will all step down for him before the election. Such a deal, if true, is nothing but a defeat-averting measure inspired by fear.
However, at the backdrop of these smart moves by Governor Wike is an alleged brewing disquiet in his camp, as most of his aides and some PDP chieftains, including their chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, are said to be unhappy with him. According to inside sources, the governor’s alleged rejection of some of Obuah’s candidates and hijacking of his functions as PDP chairman, tight grip on funds, personalisation of governance and relegation of his commissioners and aides to mere figureheads, are some of the factors responsible for the discontent in his camp. Many of his angry aides and supporters are said to be planning to either defect to other parties or pretentiously remain in PDP to secretly work for his downfall as vendetta for the way they’re being maltreated by him.
How Governor Wike handles this ‘internal heat’ in his camp will determine how successful his re-election bid will be. Ordinarily, with the power of incumbency and a heavy financial war chest, further strengthened with the mind-boggling four hundred and eighty billion naira (N480,000,000,000.00) 2019 budget, he should be the man to beat in the forthcoming governorship election. But with those afore-mentioned internal grey hairs rearing to clog his electoral wheel of progress, coupled with security agencies’ seeming resolve to curtail what they see as his hitherto overlooked excesses, as well as a reported growing frustration among Rivers people over the high rates of poverty, hunger, insecurity and delay in payment of salaries and pensions, Governor Wike’s chances of being re-elected remain very slim.
The plethora of crises and serial court cases buffeting the Rivers APC and the anger-induced pseudo loyalty secretly shaking the foundation of PDP have led to the emergence of a third force –Accord Party- which now appears to be the alternative choice for Rivers people. In a nutshell, the Accord Party can be likened to a child of necessity.
Revived by the vibrancy, buoyancy and popularity of its governorship candidate, Chief Barr Dumo Lulu-Briggs, the Accord Party is currently the most appealing and fastest growing political party in Rivers State. The decency, geniality, gentleness, kind-heartedness, patience, politeness, charisma, focus, determination, diligence, industry, versed knowledge, exposure, generosity, dexterity, business acumen and noble character of Chief Barr Dumo Lulu-Briggs make him the most loved, favoured and widely accepted of all the governorship candidates in Rivers State presently.
Among other qualities, what distinguishes Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs from other governorship candidates is his vision for Rivers people aptly captured in what could be described as a 3-point development agenda namely: Agriculture, education and tourism.
During his visit to the Amanyanabo of Kalabari, His Majesty, King T.J.T. Princewill last year, the Accord Party gubernatorial flag bearer explained that if concentrated on, the three sectors are capable of transforming the economy of the state.
Exhibiting an in-depth knowledge of the geography of his state, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs further explained that the topography of the riverine areas was very much suitable for tourism which he said could generate more revenue to Rivers State and employ more youths than oil and gas. In further demonstration of high level exposure and well-informed mindedness, the soft-spoken oil and gas magnate, who told the Kalabari monarch that he decided to run in order to develop Rivers State, cited South Africa, which is very rich in gold, as one of the few African countries raking in billions of dollars annually from tourism.
Moreso, his plan to develop agriculture and make education reachable to every Rivers man simply shows that he understands the problems of Rivers State and the plight of his people. It also underscores his readiness to solve those problems, with the intention of placing the state on the pedestal of progress once again, hence his promise of coming to liberate the state from years of underdevelopment.
One remarkable feature in Lulu-Briggs outings is his avoidance of hate speeches, unlike other governorship candidates who spend all their time and energy castigating their opponents during their campaign programmes. Given the polarised nature of Rivers State, whose poor masses have been at the receiving end of a parochial, riverine/upland dichotomy-orchestrated divisive, enslaving and impoverishing politics, a large-hearted, unbiased, non tribal philanthropist like Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs whose bowel is full of the milk of human kindness, continually touching the lives of many people irrespective of tribe, religion, class or political party, is difficult to resist.
And with PDP and APC having woefully failed the poor masses of Rivers State, they will definitely have no problem casting their precious votes for Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs and his Accord Party during the governorship election. Even the leadership of PDP and APC are not unaware of this stark reality, hence their desperate moves to stop the Accord Party and its guber candidate from going to the polls. The PDP’s recent ill-advised effort to disrupt the Accord Party’s smooth-running, victory-headed, Brick House-destined electoral course with legal instruments is one out of other desperate moves, all of which, however, will not see the light of day. The earlier PDP and APC and their leaders understand that they have lost touch with the hunger-battered, poverty-stricken and down-trodden masses of Rivers State, the better. Moreso, the earliest they understand that Dumo Lulu-Briggs and Accord Party represent the conscience and hope of these same common masses as well as the change they’re crying, for now, the best.
Thus, given the present psycho-socio momentum, only a high-level rigging conspiracy can attempt to stop Chief Barr Dumo Lulu-Briggs from being sworn in as executive governor of Rivers State on May 29, 2019.
