Nyesom Wike, governor as "fighter"

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, whose term is ending soon, has been at the height of political turmoil since taking office in 2015 following the Eleventh Hour ‘robbery’ during of last year's presidential primary in Abuja. The governor had bravely fought his way to a stadium thought to be close to the presidency, and to suddenly see his efforts frustrated at this stage implies he is sure to have a new perception of politics and the people around him. .

Obviously, his tenure is fraught with difficulty, which keeps people interested every time every episode of Rivers State Government House plays. His position brings him into contact with double traders and people who have an ideology different from his own. As a skilful politician, he manages dissident groups with finesse. His insight, his quest for justice and fairness, his vision to liberate Rivers and its people and his desire to transform Nigeria have earned him criticism. They say the governor is brash and talks too much. Some say he's insecure while others think he's out of touch. Painting a rather ugly picture of him, his sworn enemies called him a "democracy destroyer".

The Governor is a fighter for justice passionately interested in liberating a people and instilling fairness and accountability where there is none. The primary that destabilized him in 2022 was a revelation, which made him swear never to support individuals who characterize corruption, injustice and inequity. He clarified that he had no personal issue with Atiku Abubakar, but with zoning and the process that produced the former vice president. In a way, he is fighting "a system".

His struggle can be explained in the context of his partisan hierarchies and Rivers' socio-economic status, where the impact of the federal government has been minimal. Within the PDP for example, power is concentrated in the hands of non-Rivers and there is no plan to zone the national presidency to South-South even when Uche Secondus resigned for Iyorchia Ayu. The crisis that rocked the party took a dramatic turn at that moment.

The dominant belief of a fighter for justice is that there are two classes: the oppressors and the oppressed. People should get what they deserve. A look at the PDP as a party reveals a lopsided arrangement, which largely leaves out Rivers' names, even though the appointment of members is guided by the party's constitution: Atiku Abubakar is a northerner; his vice is not of Rivers; the national president is from the mid-north although recommended by Wike, which led to the resignation of Secondus; the chairman of the Governor Forum is Aminu Tambuwal, a northerner. But before Tambuwal in 2020, there was Seriake Dickson from Bayelsa State.

When the PDP was drowning in the stormy seas of Ali Modu in 2017, it took the political tenacity of Wike to ferry and winch its members to safety. And when many dropped out of the party, Wike stayed and revived it. The party has its National Youth Leader as Mohammed Sulaiman of Kaduna State; National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba is from Ondo State; the interim Chairman of the Board of Directors (BoT) is Adolphus Wabara from Abia State, who inherited the post from fellow northerner, Walid Jibrin. That said, it is glaring to see how the people of Rivers have been pushed into the background and their state sidelined.

Rivers has been one of Nigeria's top financiers for years due to its vast resources of crude oil and natural gas. Given this enormous influence, one wonders why his people can't speak with one voice and liberate the state from the politicians who squander the revenue generated by Rivers' crude oil abroad. It's not cashless politics or Atiku, Obi, or Tinubu that will free Rivers and his people, it's the Governor and the Rivers people. It became easy for politicians to use Rivers people during presidential elections and dump them afterwards.

Many important positions in Nigeria are held by northerners. Wike is a visionary leader whose fight is for the benefit of the Rivers people and Nigeria. Because he knows how to fight, he has had more than ten overflights under his belt, a feat that makes him the best and most successful governor in West Africa. It is never a policy of personal interest but a policy of altruism, of popular democracy. Many of the negative things said about him are lies primarily meant to destroy every ideal he stands for.

Wike has had a positive impact on the lives of over 8,000 children in the North. He also appointed 200,000 helpers within weeks so the people of Rivers would have a chance to live. He restores sanity and brings social amenities to Rivers. Because he is fiery and "too talkative", he was able to deliver academics from the destructive ASUU strike of 2012 and could have, in his stride, avoided that of t...