The Race To Rivers Power House

Too many governorship aspirants, with one vacant seat to be occupied

in Rivers State Government House in 2015! This has not, in any way,

curbed the interests of those who are continuously making efforts to

secure the number one revered post in the state.

Rather, it has propelled many to join in the fight on who succeeds

Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; making it confusing for the public

to choose whom to vote for.
While some claim to have the interest of the masses at heart, the

intentions of others are yet to be revealed to the peculiar Rivers

people. But whatever reasons they have for wanting to contest for

governorship in the state, the fact remains that they all want to win.

Many of these politicians vying for the post of governor have had the

opportunity of serving the Rivers people, either as commissioners,

legislators, etc. While some effectively handled the positions that

they previously held, others have nothing to account for.

The fact that many see, or use political or public offices as avenues

to make wealth; has not changed the natural order of things that these

offices were created for the holders, who are servants to the people,

to render selfless services to those who elected them.

This is not the best time to be subjective to political parties, but

rather observant of the candidates that are vying for the various

elective positions in the state, especially this era of politics of

defection.
A dog in the village will still be a dog if taken to the city. The

fact that these so-called politicians are moving from one political

party to the other doesn't mean they have turned a new leaf. Defection

is only a movement from a political party that does not give you its

ticket to the one that does.
In the recent time, the pursuit of who resides at the helm of affairs

in Rivers State has caused a lot of chaos – leading to losses of life

and property within and outside the state.
This did not only entail those who were too fanatic about their

support for the various political parties or aspirants, even those who

saw politics as a game of the damned lost their valuables as a result

of the menace unleashed by miscreants who went mad because of promises

made to them by political lords.
While it is heartwarming to support the various political elite whom

we deem fit to represent us at all levels, it should not be done at

the expense of the lives of the Rivers people as no one's ambition is

worth a drop of blood.
As observers of the political game in the state, those who have the

intentions of vying for governorship are not hidden to us. Whether

they choose to come under the aegis of the Peoples Democratic Party,

the All Progressives Congress, or any other party, it is better to

vote for only those who have the interest of the Rivers people at

heart.
Governor Rotimi Amaechi recently stated that his government will

ensure that, this time around, the votes of the people count. Though

he expressed that he wasn't sure of what the other political parties

are up to, especially the PDP, he vowed to make certain that the

people's votes count.
This statement is not limited to the APC alone, there are several

other political parties who are looking towards bringing out the best

candidates in the 2015 gubernatorial race in the state.

The only difference there is that every political party has its

strength. But the major parties that the public sees excelling in the

forthcoming governorship election in Rivers are the PDP and the APC.

The APC has created for itself a household name in Rivers State. The

defection of the governor, Amaechi, made certain of it. Since then, a

great number of the leaders in the state, including the Speaker of the

Rivers State House of Assembly, has continually attracted more support

to the party.
If Governor Amaechi's words come into play in the forthcoming

elections in the state, it means there is unbounded hope for the

weaker political parties in 2015.
But, it is too early for the public to decipher the party that will

control the state after 2015 general elections. The PDP has never

ceased to proclaim that they run the state.
But this is true. Governor Amaechi came into power under the auspices

of the Peoples Democratic Party. His defection to the All Progressives

Congress is the only merit they have against the PDP.

The 2015 governorship election in the state is going to be tough. As

the PDP looks forward towards securing its value in the state which

was given away by Governor Amaechi, the APC, through the help of the

governor, tends to maintain its undeserved lead over the other

political parties in the state.
Despite this, they have never yielded in humiliating and discrediting

themselves. The APC and PDP always call themselves devils. But they

all are the same. Leaders of the PDP yesterday are now the leaders of

the APC today.
While some see the PDP as a substandard party and run away to the APC,

others in the APC have also defected to the PDP, claiming that those

same politicians are back again with their selfish desires.

The public ought not to be part of the show of shame that these

parties engage in. If Mr. A has a problem with Mr. B, the public

should not be dragged into it. This is not the time to vote for

political parties! This is the time to vote for candidates of sound

records.
Whether APC, PDP, or any other party, we should wait for them to

present their best candidates to us, before casting our votes. While

some have had their campaign posters flying all around the state, the

battle is yet to begin as no party has produced a governorship

candidate.
Here are the reasons of one of the governorship aspirants of the PDP,

Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack, for vying for the number one post in the state:

“first is that a vacancy exists. We don't just have to sit back and

wait for some lion-hearted persons to run for public offices. So, that

is one of the basic reasons; exercise of my rights as a citizen to vie

for the highest offices in the state.”
“Then, of course, there is a leadership vacuum. Everybody says it; the

average Nigerian, the average Rivers person, or resident complains

about a leadership vacuum. I am running to provide leadership.

Leadership that can move the peoples, leadership that can persuade the

people, leadership that can make the people go from where we are to

where we all really want to be, leadership that will inspire

development and at the end of the day, leadership that can create

prosperity in Rivers State.”
Then, of course, more fundamentally is the fact that increasingly, we

are becoming a fragmented state; disunity has set in, the cracks of

tribalism and its associates are there for us to see. We are running

so that we can have a governmental power and authority to unite our

people.”
Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack was the General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar

Association (NBA) between 2004 and 2006 and recently served as an

electoral commissioner in the Rivers State Independent Electoral

Commission (RSIEC).
Another big name that has all it takes to lead Rivers State is Sen.

Magnus Abe. He joined active Politics in 1999 and was elected into

Rivers State House of Assembly where he served as a Minority Leader.

He also served the state as Commissioner of Information between 2003

to 2007.
Sen. Mangus Abe was called to serve his state as the Secretary to

Rivers State Government when Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi came

into power. He later resigned and contested for the position of a

senator, representing Rivers South East Senatorial District. He won

the election with a very great margin and has since been sworn in as a

Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Barr. Nyesom Wike who wants to take hold of leadership of the state

under the aegis of the PDP is a grassroots politician and a Grand

Patron of the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI).

He was once a chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, and former Supervising

Minister for Education. He has been known by many to be 'a political

high tension wired politician' that has the capability to destroy any

unprepared gubernatorial aspirant in the state.
His popularity has reached a high raking post in the state. Many say

that he cannot be a governor since his kinsman, Mr. Chibuike Rotimi

Amaechi, has been in Government House in the past seven years.

The clarion call for Kalabari governorship in 2015 might pose a threat

to him. As an Ikwerre man, many believe he may fail if he decides to

contest; though he controls the leadership of the state chapter of the

ruling PDP.
Prince Tonye Princewill hails from Kalabari. He became prominent in

2007, when he contested for the gubernatorial seat in Rivers State on

the platform of the defunct Action Congress (AC). He now has a local

political platform known as Princewill Political Associates (PPA).

This political association cuts across the 23 Local Government Areas

in the state. But many believe that Princewill's political platform

(PPA) is weak and has no financial muscle to face the intrigues of

2015.
Dr. Biobele Diboye-Suku is an American based politician. He hails from

Buguma in Asari-Toru Local Government Area. In 2007 he contested the

governorship position on the platform of Labour Party (LP) but lost to

one Hon. O. J. J. Braide. As an American based medical doctor, he is

not conversant with the complexity of Nigerian politics. Moreover, he

has no formidable political group to sell him out to the other members

of the party.
Odein Ajumogobia was a former Federal Minister and also a one-time

Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General Rivers State. He is from

Kalabari Kingdom with a humble and honest background.

On several occasions, Ajumogobia has been tipped to indicate ambition

to step into the Brick House in 2015. Though he has recently commenced

consultations with some Abuja based politicians, Ajumogobia is not so

strong politically at the home front. He has no political structure

that could work for him to actualize his gubernatorial ambition.

As we rightly gathered, some of these aspirants have begun secret

campaigns, while others are still in the process of consultation. Some

embark on concealed political meetings with supporters on how to

outsmart the other political opponents.
While they are busy with their arrangements on how to win primary

tickets, the Rivers people are carefully scrutinizing; to cast their

votes on only those who merit to be voted for.
Also frowning at some of the lapses encountered by previous

administrations, some of the learned youths in the state have revealed

that they won't step out of their houses on the day of the election,

should these so-called political parties fail to unveil candidates of

good reputations to them.