Since the Independent National Electoral Commission-INEC had announced the 2023 election timetable and the consultative period for aspirants, in the Rivers state chapter of Peoples Democratic Party-PDP where the incumbent Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is the leader, not much has been heard about those jostling to succeed him in office apart from the fact that about 13 of them had obtained Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms.
Among
those 13 aspirants, only 4 of them are actually prepared to go the whole hog to
wrestle power from the rest of the incumbents who may have his most preferred
candidate who he had never revealed. Port Harcourt Bureau
Chief, Emeka Amaefula here exposes 4-serious contenders in Rivers State and how their participation in the Governorship Primary
election will throw up a surprise outcome of who takes over from Governor Wike
come May, 29th, 2023.
TAMMY
W. DANAGOGO
This
is the man who a few weeks ago was Secretary to State Government-SSG having
served as Minister of Sports and Youth Development during President Goodluck
Jonathan's administration. While Nyesome Ezenwo was Minister of State for
Education, Dr Tammy W. Danagogo was holding sway at the Sports Ministry as
both have had robust political relationships having served as Chairman of Akuku
Toru while Wike was Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council all in
Rivers State. In 2007, Wike was the one who brought Dr Tammy Danagogo to join
the Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi led the Government as Commissioner
for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs. In 2012 leading to 2013 and 2014, Dr
Tammy Danagogo helped Nyesom Wike to fashion out plans on how best to take over
Rivers State political power from the then All Progressives Congress-led
administration of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. This led to the formation of a
political Pressure group known as Grassroot Development Initiatives-GDI which
propelled Wike to BRICK HOUSE Port Harcourt Rivers State seat of political
power.
Dr
Tammy Danagogo as Minister and another Rivers State Minister for Trade and
Investment then Chief Kenneth Kobani joined hands in purchasing the
Gubernatorial Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for Nyesom Ezebunwo
Wike who compensated them with the appointment as Secretary -To-Rivers state
Government SSG in quick succession to each other. The political atmosphere in
Rivers state favours zoning the Governorship seat to Riverine Coastal Local
Government Areas with the Rivers State Ijaw ethnic group having the majority of
occupants of those areas. And Dr Tammy W. Danagogo comes from Rivers State
Ijaw ethnic group.
Today,
he had resigned his appointment to pursue his governorship ambition as he is
billed to participate in the PDP Rivers State Governorship Primary election
coming up on Monday 23rd of May, 2022 as delegates from the 23 Local Government
Areas will file in to cast their votes for who will represent their party at
the March, 2023 Governorship election in Rivers State.
On
the surface, he ought to have been the anointed candidate but to Governor Wike
Dr. Tammy Danagogo has been politically settled for the role he played in 2014
in bringing him to political power as elected Governor of rivers state in 2015
and re-elected in 2019 as his support for a successor has been shifted to
another greenhorn in politics.
SIMINAYI
FUBARA
A few months ago, this name was not popular as he remained a Civil Servant being the
rivers state Accountant General. But suddenly his name was popped up by
political opinion leaders as he has been chosen by Nyesom Wike as his preferred
successor in Office come 2023. But something happened to a publication by the
Economic and Financial Crime Commission having placed Siminayi Fubara and three
other Rivers State Civil Servants as being wanted for an alleged crime of
N117Billion fraud. Having been declared wanted by EFCC he was not physically
present at the screening of Governorship aspirants but no one knows whether he
was administratively screened by his party. He comes from the Riverine Ijaw
ethnic nationality in Rivers State, a group said to have been favoured by the
zoning arrangement of PDP. This is coming at a time similar to the former
Abia State Governor T.A Orji who won the election while detained in Kirikiri under the custody of EFCC.
FELIX
OBUAH
The
emergence of brother Felix Amechi Obuah as a Governorship aspirant did not come
to anyone by surprise because he was used in pushing out from PDP the former
Governor of Rivers State and just retired Minister of Transportation Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi which began in 2012 State Congress of PDP where the then state
Chairman of PDP late Godspower Umejuru Ake was to be re-elected for a second
term but having from the same Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local government Area of Rivers
State Brother Felix Obuah challenged G.U Ake in court over the chairmanship of
PDP in Rivers State which he won in Supreme Court and quickly took control of
the party till the 2015 Governorship election that was won by PDP Nyesom
Ezebunwo Wike. Thus, he was compensated with a juicy appointment as Sole
Administrator of the multi-Billion naira Rivers State Waste Management
Agency-RIWAMA until last week when he resigned from office to pursue his
gubernatorial ambition as PDP Governorship aspirant in Rivers State. He hails
from the same Rivers State West senatorial district but from the upland area, not an Ijaw riverine community where the majority of the party loyalists are
looking forward to producing a governorship candidate in the 2023 election.
Governor
Wike's Brother, Felix Obuah has been settled politically with the Sole
administrator appointment as RIWAMA boss and he has no known legitimate demand apart from exercising
his constitutional right to contest as an aspirant.
AUSTIN
OPARA
The
former Deputy Speaker Federal House of Representatives and a native of Ikwerre
ethnic nationality hails from Port Harcourt Local Government Area popularly
addressed as PHALGA. He is a serious contender irrespective of the fact that
Ikwerre ethnic nationality has produced Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and the
incumbent Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike as governors of Rivers State
respectively. Although many are seeing his emergence as the probable announcement
for the deputy Governorship position whereas a Governor Wike loyalist and incumbent
Chairman of Ikwerre Local Government Engineer Dr Samuel Nwanosike who just got
elected for a second term in office is being positioned as Deputy Governor. The
reason may not be unconnected to the fact that Obio/Akpor Local Government Area
with the highest voting strength and being an Ikwerre ethnic nationality area
with other Ikwerre speaking Local Government Areas must be taken seriously with
a deputy Governorship slot so as to garner enough votes as against All Progressives
Congress APC in Rivers State that has already shifted its Governorship
candidate position to Riverine Ijaw.
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