Imeon Nwakaudu
An editor friend of mine called me recently and asked what “Operation Kick Out Wike,” which Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, said he would execute between Monday and Thursday of election week, was about. I simply told him that the Amaechi project would be of no consequence, being an exercise in futility.
The project, being the dance of a man on the verge of political irrelevance, will yield no result. Everybody knows that, since 2014, Amaechi and his associates have worked day and night to kick out Wike, to no avail. They have deployed everything, but they have failed woefully.
Nigerians know how the SARS was used to intimidate and coerce people during recent elections, but Rivers people have stood their ground in aligning with Governor Nyesom Wike. Other tactics have been employed against the governor, but they all failed.
During the rerun legislative elections, about 25 seats of the Rivers State House of Assembly were up for grabs. Amaechi told the world that he would win all the seats for the All Progressives Congress (APC). About 70,000 security personnel were deployed to aid the plot. Rivers people were not intimidated. They stood by Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The rerun elections came. The soldiers, SARS and other security operatives made efforts, but they did not succeed. Rivers State triumphed. The people insisted that they preferred Wike and the PDP. The House of Assembly was secured by the people, in the interest of Rivers State. This latest scheme by Amaechi and his partners will equally fail.
Recently, 58 governorship candidates affirmed their endorsement of Governor Wike. They said: “We are not in support of INEC conniving with APC to disrupt the governorship/State Assembly elections on March 9. The APC, knowing they are not on the ballot, plan to ensure that elections don’t hold.”
If Amaechi and his associates want to test their popularity, they should meet the PDP at the polling units on Saturday, March 9, 2019. Anything short of that is simply an attempt to disorganise the security framework of the state for the reasons stated above.
There are 3,215,273 registered voters in Rivers State, according to INEC. The onus is on Amaechi, his associates and any other party they have chosen to support to canvass for votes.
Governor Wike has campaigned in all the 23 local government areas, selling himself and the PDP. He has met with different socio-cultural groups, professional organisations, non-governmental organisations and religious bodies. He has discussed his programmes with the non-indigenes. In all these engagements, the people have spoken with one voice that it is Wike they prefer.
In all the 4,442 polling units of Rivers State, unit leaders and members of the PDP have canvassed for votes. Governor Wike has unit liaison officers across the state who have been empowered through employment to work for the development of the state. There is an interface with all sections of the state. The pulse of Wike’s government is felt at the grassroots. This has never been the case.
Governor Wike started his journey to a second term from May 29, 2015. He resumed office prepared and launched the Operation Zero Potholes in Port Harcourt minutes after his administration was inaugurated. Since then, he has delivered projects across the 23 local government areas, changing the developmental narrative of the state. He has weathered the storm, defending the interests of Rivers State every step of the way. He has stood with the people and remained their voice.
For Wike, it has always been Rivers first. He has never betrayed the state. Despite the economic trap set by Amaechi, who prophesied that Wike would not do projects or pay salaries because of the precarious economic conditions he left the state in, Wike has made Rivers State the envy of all states.
It is not by chance that the APC or their cornered affiliates have no developmental accusations against Wike. The performing governor has silenced his critics with outstanding projects delivery, promoting selfless governance. He has made good governance a way of life in Rivers State. Seamlessly, pro-people projects are rolled out for the people.
Like it is stated in the Bible, surely the anti-Rivers agents will gather, but they will always fail because God has ordained Governor Wike to lift Rivers State from the doldrums of under-development. According to Isaiah 54:15: “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.”
The sponsored protests will be of no value, other than to help the embattled minister canvass for appointments. It is nothing more than the cry of a diminished politician, craving attention.
Like Governor Wike advised, Rivers APC and their leaders should wait for 2023. The decision for 2019 has been made. The people are with Governor Wike and they will confirm by re-electing him on March 9.
A few politicians promoting an anti-Rivers agenda will not alter the will of the people. Those who have illicit resources deployed to create criss will not succeed because the people have their eyes on the ball. They will re-elect Governor Wike. They will defend their votes and they will defeat any manipulator who tries to rig the process.
Rivers people are united. No intimidation will shake them. Rivers people are united for the re-election of Governor Wike. Power belongs to God and God uses the people to elect leaders at every given time. As they say, the voice of the people is the voice of God. Rivers people have declared: it’s Wike or Wike.