Today, the 20^th day of February, 2023, Governor Wike on a live programme described himself as a Governor with a capital “G” among several other adulations for himself. This article therefore seeks to explore and dig whether there is any iota of justification in terms of performance, brilliance, grassroot love, influence, astuteness, resoluteness etc. for such charismatic display of political egotism or not. The article then goes on to account for the practical and visible contributions of Governor Wike to both Rivers State’s and national politics.

Who is Governor Wike?

Nyesom Wike was born on the 13^th of December 1967, the same year Rivers State was carved out of the Old Eastern Region by the then Head of State, Yakubu Gowon and placed under the leadership of the first Military Governor Alfred Diete- Spiff who took office on the 28^th of May 1967. Six months or thereabout after Alfred Diette- Spiff became the military Governor, a comrade actionist per excellence was born.

Nyesome Wike studied law at Rivers State University of Science and Technology and proceeded to the Nigeria Law School where he bagged his BL. He also holds a master of Arts degree in Political and Administrative Studies.

Governor Wike’s Political RiseOne factor absolutely works in favour of Governor Wike; he started his political career from the grassroot. So, he is nothing short of a well-grounded grassroot politician who is loved for having consistently maintained a good track records and relationships. Grassroot politics is so important to sustaining steady political growth and firm consolidation that, if a politician considers it a trifle, such a politician may never enjoy relevance and heyday days for long.

For instance, Rt. Hon. Dimeji Bankole, the one time Speaker of the House of Representatives is a classic example of a politician who came to power having being so lunched into national political relevance by the Former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. His political career having been intertwined with that of his sponsor, became macadamized upon Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure completion and intentional political reclination.

For over twelve years now, the one time 5^th citizen in Nigeria has failed to clinch the spot to become the Governor of Ogun State despite his competence, strength, good mannerism, and convincing military background. He lacked what Wike has in spades. Wike has consistently subjected the grassroot love for him to test. He knows there has to be a permanent connection to it. In fact, he dares anyone even up to the Presidency because of the backing availed him by the grassroot. Wike has successfully been has already created a niche as one true defender of the people of Rivers State against all forms of external aggression. constituted into a fiery cannon and an authoritative demi-god because of his understanding of this concept.

He started his competitive and active political career as a two-term Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area from 1999 to 2007. However, he became a fully recognized political force as a Governor having defeated Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress and Tonye Cole of the Labour Party to emerge as the Governor of Rivers State. His former Principal, Former Governor Rotimi Amaechi had earlier preferred him as his Chief of Staff and later as his anointed successor. Unfortunately, they both fell-out after Wike became Governor.

This culminated into a show of political powers between the two political maestros. However, Wike won the battle technically having submerged and subdued his former Principal after being elected for the second term against all odds. His records of two-term Executive Chairman of a local government and Executive Governor of a his state establishes Wike’s influence in Rivers State politics. Once in power, he demonstrates capacity and maintains relationship withy people through political showmanship and ensures that the people he covenants to serve never get trampled upon by anyone.

In April 2020, Nyesom Wike displayed the highest level of audacity in his career by engaging in direct confrontation with the Federal Government the arrest and detention of the Federal Government-cleared oil expatriate workers fully licensed by government to handle a national assignment in Rivers State having also been approved by the National Civil Aviation Regulatory Authority. Wike got the expatriates arrested on arrival as well as the pilots and used the instrumentality of a Federal Police Commissioner to arrest them and locked them up in a Federal Prison while enjoying the full backing of the Air Force Commander in Rivers State.

The Guardian reported that “Wike was the Commander-in Chief, giving illegal instructions to the military and police in P[ort Harcourt. I have to say that no matter how much one reads arrogance to some of the speeches of Wike, I am sure, hardly would any Riverian not fall in love with him for daring to challenge an overbearing Federal Government that has subsumed and arrogated all the powers of thirty six Governors to itself.

Not many Governors have the balls to challenge a sitting President like that no matter how patient he is. Wike earned more reputation for himself especially by hanging the Federal Government with its own rope of security and preparatory measures against covid-19 pandemic which states created their own version from and quickly painted the Federal Government as the enemy of When Obaseki, the incumbent Governor of Edo State fell-out with his godfather, Adams Oshiomole politically, and when it was clearly ascertainable that Oshiomole was going to avenge himself by suffocating the second term bid of Obaseki, with practical steps already taken by him towards achieving his threat, it was the same Wike who orchestrated Obaseki – who had been rooted out of the All Progressives Congress, the political platform that had given him victory in his first term- into the People’s Democratic Party and gave him the slot.

Wike became a strong bulwark against the physical and spiritual forces of Comrade Adams Oshiomole who was not only humiliated but was completely relegated from relevance save his current re-grouping with Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Furthermore, the emboldened Wike in the build up to the 2023 Presidential primary election took on the former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubarkar; the great politician that His Excellency, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to whom Atiku was vice, was reported to have bent the knees, and from all indications, Wike is leading on the scorecard. He would ordinarily not have had the moral, political and social capacity to take on Atiku, but Atiku had abdicated his political throne in the party out of frustration on the occasion of his 4^th Presidential Election defeat which availed Wike the opportunity to bankroll the party left hanging by Atiku.

By the time Atiku realized he would still be needing the party, Wike had consolidated and constituted a powerful caucus that could face Atiku any time any day. He legitimately decapitated Atiku’s legitimacy over the PDP structure. Unfortunately, Atiku still failed to manage the situation effectively after defeating Wike in the Primary election, by failing to oblige five Governors’ wishes for the party Chairman Ayu to step down, and his disrespectful nomination of Wike; a sitting Governor as an ordinary floor member of his Presidential Campaign Committee. This culminated into full-blown war between the G5 Governors and the PDP with Atiku’s ambition at the receiving end.

Whether this election as prognosis have shown would be made or marred by the Governor or not, we have to wait for the political full moon, as only time will tell, and by time, I mean four days from now when the Presidential hopefuls will thug it out and by which time Governor Wike would know his fate whether Atiku will ruthless axe him for his unrepentant vilification against him or Bola Ahmed Tinubu will shield him.

Ebenezer Omotola

WIKE: A GOVERNOR WITH A CAPITAL “G”

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