Kelechi Esogwa-Amadi
Feelers have emerged that some politicians interested in contesting the governorship election in Rivers State in 2023 have started secret consultations.
TPCN learnt that these prospective gubernatorial aspirants have been meeting with key stakeholders and power brokers of their various political parties privately to express their interest and seek advice.
It was also gathered that some prospective aspirants extend their consultations to some elder statesmen in the state, who they believe can make things easier for them, given what they see as the complex nature of Rivers politics that attracts a lot of interest even across borders.
A source told TPCN on Tuesday in Port Harcourt that some of these prospective governorship aspirants are focusing their consultations more on the riverine axis of Rivers State.
According to the source, “The reason is that they believe that it will be the turn of the riverine people to produce the next governor of Rivers State. That is why they’re seeking their consultations more from there. To them, anybody the elder statesmen in the riverine area endorse will be the candidate to beat in the 2023 governorship election.”
The source added that even the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) know that they will need the support of the riverine people for them to succeed in the 2023 governorship elections.
“So, as it is now, the riverine is the bride as long as 2023 is concerned. The reason is that they have not held that position for a long time. Since 1999 that democracy returned to Nigeria, Rivers State has been ruled only by the upland people.
“You know that Dr Odili ruled from 1999 to 2007; Omehia ruled from May 29, 2007, to October 25, 2007; Amaechi, his cousin took over and ruled from October 26, 2007, to May 28, 2015; then Nyesom Wike took over and will rule till 2023. If you calculate everything, it’s about 24 years that the upland has been in power in our state, and many riverine people believe it should be their turn in 2023.
“These political parties and their prospective aspirants, including the PDP, which is the ruling party and the main opposition, the APC, know all about this; that’s why they’re all focusing their consultations in the riverine,” the source explained.
According to the source, some of the prospective governorship aspirants are going for both consultations and blessings.
“I know one of them that recently went to see a king and later a prominent elder in the state just to get their blessings. And they all wished him well. It was a closed-door meeting, that’s why it wasn’t in the media and that’s why I don’t want to mention his name. He was the governorship candidate of his party in 2019 but he didn’t win,” the source revealed.
Asked if the blessings the elder statesmen gave the governorship aspirant means they have endorsed him, the source said:
“Not at all. They only wished him well. It’s like a visitor coming to your house. You didn’t invite him, but he just decided to come. Will you pursue him? No. As long as he’s not a criminal, you can’t pursue him from your house. It’s not done in Africa. Africans welcome their visitors and entertain them well, especially prominent visitors. That’s what those elders did. At their level, they cannot be partisan again. They’re now fathers, and they see the younger generation as their children. Every good father welcomes his child irrespective of his child’s political leanings. They will only advise the child to behave well and be peaceful.”
Meanwhile, some of the political parties in Rivers State are said to have started making effort to rejig their structure as part of preparations for the 2023 election battle.
Investigation revealed that apart from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), all other parties in Rivers have certain grey areas to work on if they want to make any meaningful impact in the 2023 general elections.
For instance, the APC, buoyed by the energy of new leadership under its newly elected chairman, Emeka Bekee, may need to work towards reuniting all its members, including the aggrieved ones.
ADP, Accord, Labour Party, SDP, and others may need to look into their grassroots structures and expansion plans. As permutations and intrigues keep unfolding in the hot race for the Brick House in 2023, some political analysts in Rivers believe that any political party without a strong structure at the ward level is only coming to add colour to the race.
