By Bernard Balogun.
Wike and Fubara.
Photo credit:Punch.
For now, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State seems to be having upper hand and probably having a hearty laughter and may be clicking the champagne glasses in Government House in Portharcourt.
Victory is sweet, isn’t it?
The ongoing roforo-roforo fight in Rivers State did not just start yesterday. It is a seed sown perhaps in 2007.
It was said, in the media then, that Dr Peter Odili brought his one time Personal Assistant to national limelight. When Dr Peter Odili won the PDP Governorship primaries of Rivers State in 1999, he brought his Personal Assistant by name Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi to contest the State House of Assembly. Dr Peter Odili won the governorship election, ditto Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi won his election into the State House of Assembly.
As Governor, Dr Peter Odili, a medical doctor by training, ensured that his one time PA became the State House of Assembly’s Speaker.
Do you know what that means? Easy passage of Executive bills.
At this time, there was a man called Barrister Nyesome Wike, relatively unknown then, who was Obio Akpor Local Government Area Executive Chairman. This Local Government is reputed to be one of the richest, if not the richest in Rivers State. Wike served as a two-term Executive Chairman of the LG.
Towards the end of Governor Peter Odili’s tenure, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi participated in the PDP organised governorship primaries, meaning a likely successor to Dr Peter Odili. Rt Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi won in the primaries. However, for some strange political reasons, Rotimi’s name was substituted with the name of Mr Celestine Omehia, who was a Special Adviser to Gov Peter Odili. Celestine Omehia, a relation to Rotimi, never participated in PDP primaries, but his name emerged on the ballot. The PDP candidate emerged winner and Celestine Omehia was sworn in as Governor.
This provoked Amaechi naturally and he proceeded to the Election Tribunal and ultimately to the Supreme Court.
At the Supreme Court it was declared that Rt Honourable Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi ought to have been sworn in as Governor of Rivers State, since he was the one that participated in the primaries. In the eyes of the law, and it was so ruled, Amaechi was the rightful candidate of the PDP and winner of the April 2007 governorship election conducted in Rivers State not Celestine Omehia, who in the eye of law is seen as a usurper.
Thus Celestine Omehia served as Governor of Rivers State between May 29, 2007 to October 23, 2007.
Media reports had it that Barrister Nyesom Wike played significant role in ensuring that Amaechi retrieved his mandate from Celestine. So on assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Rivers State, quite naturally, Amaechi appointed Wike as Chief of Staff to the Governor. It was said, Governor Rotimi Amaechi recommended Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for appointment at the Federal level. Thus in July 2011, Wike became a Minister of State, Education and subsequently elevated to a substantive Minister of Education in September 2013.
Loyalty shifted from Amaechi to Mama Patience, as the former President’s spouse was widely known. At this time, there existed some sort of open misunderstanding between Rotimi Amaechi and the President’s wife. Of course, Wike decided to patch his tent with that of the Mama Patience.
As elections of 2014 was drawing close, Mama Patience took Wike to Dr Peter Odili, who was considered the father of Politics in River State, to consider Wike as an electable person into the office of a Governor. This looks reasonable decision.
As the sitting Governor, Rotimi, in November 2013, alongside five members of the G-7 defected to the new opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) where he became the Director General of Muhammadu Buhari’s presidential campaign. The gulf between Amaechi and Mama Patience became widened. In fact, Amaechi openly campaigned to oust President Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election.
Thus the relationship between Amaechi and Nyesom Wike had gone sour.
If Amaechi had not recommended Wike to President Jonathan, would Wike have become a Minister? Please hold it. Do not say anything yet. But did you smell any betrayal here?
A gentle reminder here pls.
So Wike became PDP Governorship candidate for the 2015 elections in Rivers State, courtesy Mama Patience. l once stumbled on a video on this.
Governor Amaechi’s anointed political son to succeed him was Dr Dakuku Peterside.
And so Nyesom Wike won that election, became the governor and consequently sworn in May 29, 2015. Towards the end of his tenure in 2022, Wike looked around and found a man, whose benign outlooks contradicts his inner iron-cast principle. Wike thought him worthy to succeed him. In May 29, 2023 the reins of governance was handed over to Siminalayi Fubura. In one of the ceremonies leading to the handing over, my aburo from our Odona-Elewe days at Orita Challenge in Ibadan, Dr Peter Ayodele Fayose, expertly advised Siminalayi thus…do not be looking for something that is not lost ooo, otherwise you will be seeing devils and trouble ooo…so true.
In less than four months of assumption of office as Governor, Fubara has started to see troubles in huge quantum.
This is why l think l respect and admire our Executive Governor of Kogi State, ozi anEbira oboro-oboro, Alhaji Usman Ododo. So far, so good, he has remained steadfast, loyal and true to his conscience in every way to his former boss, a man who contributed largely to his ascension to power, Alhaji Yahaya Adozi Bello. Governor Ododo has not abandoned or outshine his master in any way. Never you turned against a man who lifted you at your point of need. It means Governor Ododo has not forgotten his own little beginning and how he got to Lugard House.
It is a moral lesson bequeath on us by our forebearers. Never you allow the source of your joy go dry.
Today, we know better.
For Barrister Nyesom Wike just exercise restraint and maturity – the dance has just began for Siminalayi.
Wike, go to Court if you will but do not dance dirty.
Bernard Balogun (BenPino) writes from Abuja.
