Will Wike Displace Amaechi From Buhari’s Love?

By Chuks Ekpeneru

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State stirred controversy on Monday when he took a full page in two national dailies to commend President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of N78.9 billion supposedly expended by the Rivers State Government over the years in the construction of Federal Government projects in the state.

According to Wike, “Mr. President has by this remarkable and heart-warming gesture, shown not only your love for the Government and people of Rivers State, but also demonstrated expressively that you are indeed, a President for every state of the Federation.

“I wish to, therefore, appeal to Mr President to kindly oblige us a State visit, when invited to see what we have accomplished for the state and our people with the money.

The accolades poured on Buhari came at a time some allege that the Rivers Government is fueling the crisis in the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

Wike is alleged to be sympathetic to the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the APC faction which seemed recently to have gotten the upper hand over the mainstream of the party led by former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

Abe was recently made a board member of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), while a third faction aligned to his own faction was recognised by the court as the main group in charge of APC in the state.

These actions were largely seen as part of the larger struggle at the national level of the party to demystify Amaechi by the now removed Oshiomole led NWC.

Remarkably, Amaechi fought back using Victor Giadom to temporarily silence Oshiomole.

Wike and Ameachi didn’t start today. Both are of the Ikwerre stock. When Amaechi went on exile during the crisis that eventually produced him as governor, Wike was on ground to fight for him. Wike was then said to have used night bus to sneak into Abuja to attend Court proceedings on behalf of his now estranged Ikwerre brother.

The point of departure, however, came when it came to the nomination of a minister and Wike emerged as a rival power bloc to Amaechi especially after he aligned with the Goodluck Jonathan family.

It was upon that platform and using federal forces in 2015 that Wike was able to take control of Rivers.

With the table turned and Amaechi now in good relationship with President Buhari, there is expectation that the former governor could also use the same federal forces to overwhelm Wike in 2023.

Some political observers claim that Wike knowing the power of federal forces is with his charm offensive towards Buhari trying to create his own relationship with the president as a way of frustrating any such plans to use federal forces in 2023.

Send Us A Press Statement Advertise With Us Contact Us

 And For More Nigerian News Visit GWG.NG