For over 20 governorship aspirants in Rivers State to have not only bought forms in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but also made public declarations without a single of such in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has not gone unnoticed to political watcher in the oil-rich but volatile state.
Less fancied political parties in most parts of the country have attracted aspirants but the silence from the formidable group, the APC, seems to worry their rival, the PDP, which earlier took it for granted that the APC was unattractive in Rivers State.
Gabriel Pidomson, a PDP aspirant, had told journalists in Port Harcourt when he bought the N11m form in October 2014 that the APC aspirants were waiting for the governor to endorse them before stepping out. Others dismissed the total ‘eclipse’ and silence to lack of confidence in that the APC could succeed itself in 2015. Yet, some others told BD SUNDAY in the course of this inquiry that most APC enthusiasts had developed cold feet, fearing that non-PDP governorship aspirants could be targeted by the Presidency with fraud investigations or other sticky crimes. Yet, some other sources hinted that most South-South politicians desire federal appointments and also see their positions in the states as a stepping stone to federal ones. “They fear that prominent roles in the APC could mark them out for blacklisting after the elections”.
Another school of thought explained that most of the PDP aspirants did not however, hope to win the governorship seat but bought forms to make strong case for ‘withdrawal’ packages that come with offer for juicy contracts, federal appointments, especially ministerial, foreign posting, etc. “Many of them do not see such favours in the APC at the moment and so would not want to waste their time and money”, one such source said.
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Deep inquiries in the APC however, revealed a string explanation for the deafening silence in the gubernatorial quest in the ruling party. A source said the party’s think-tank wants to be sure that the kid on the bloc in Rivers political firmament, the immediate past minister of state for education, Nyesom Wike, was serious enough to emerge as the PDP flag-bearer as had been touted for over one year, and to be certain that the presidency was truly bent on installing him as openly declared by the Okrika-born first lady.
Wike has emerged as a string force in the state with evidence of deep roots in Aso Rock. He is regarded as the arrowhead of the Jonathan re-election project in the South-South, but this position has also attracted attacks and seeming jealousy from most PDP aspirants, threatening to tear the national ruling party to shreds in the state.
Besides, it was further gathered that most politicians in both parties hardly believe that an Ikwerre-Ikwerre succession project was possible. Some think there would be last-minute trump card that would wheel the governorship ticket in the PDP to the riverine section of the highly polarized state. This is said to have created huge caution and a strategy of silence in the APC to allow the PDP get done with their game; the choice of the ethnic location of their candidate.
The APC is said to be banking on the famous ethno-political dichotomy along the riverine/upland divide. The thinking is for the 2015 gubernatorial election to be fought along the riverine versus upland lines. Should Wike emerge, the APC is said to be planning for a quick repositioning to the riverine areas including the Ogoni so that all those who would not accept an Ikwerre succeeding fellow Ikwerre (both Wike and Amaechi are Ikwerre) would naturally align with the APC to help fight the PDP. It is also expected to whittle down the presidency’s influence in the elections.
Investigations revealed that the APC leaders had resolved to calm the gubernatorial aspirants down at the moment and to keep cool on premature campaign expenses because the journey was still far. Instead, the aspirants were made to concentrate on extensive grassroots mobilisation of members to show proof of seriousness. Amaechi said in Gokana at the Magnus Abe’s thanksgiving ceremony after the alleged rubber bullet attack by the police that he (the governor) was still seeking the face of the Lord in getting a signal for the right candidate. He said he had advised the contenders to work hard on membership drive instead of a fierce fight for the governorship seat. He had said the Holy Spirit would point out the next governor at the appropriate time.
A grassroots source at the Armed Forces Road state headquarters of the APC hinted last week at a huge gathering going on in preparation for the trip to the national convention in Abuja on November 19, 2014, that the party expected easy victory as soon as the 16 aspirants that had petitioned the tilting of the PDP to Wike. “We expect mass action as soon as Wike emerges. When the road is closed at them in the other party, we expect mass exodus into the APC.”
As if in confirmation of this, the APC state chairman, Davies Ikanya, boasted of the possibility of a merciless beating of their hottest rival, the PDP, in the governorship election. According to former national publicity secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP), Amaechi’s new admirer and political ally, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze who is media aid to the state chairman, the APC boss had made it clear that there was nothing to worry about because there was really no visible opposition in the state. “The PDP, which has been making a noise all over the place, is only blowing hot air and will be trounced at the polls next year.”
Ikanya, in a statement issued Thursday last week in Port Harcourt, said there was no way PDP could dislodge APC in the state during next year’s polls. “This assurance has become necessary due to enquiries by some political observers, who are expressing surprise that APC seems not to be doing much with regard to campaigns for the 2015 gubernatorial elections at a time when PDP aspirants have pasted their posters in many parts of the state, especially the capital city of Port Harcourt. Our party members and supporters should be rest assured that all is well and that we Rivers APC is ever ready for the 2015 elections,” Ikanya said.
He rather tried to calm nerves when he insisted that APC as a party was divinely positioned to win both the Rivers State governorship elections and the Presidency.
On why Rivers APC governorship aspirants have not engaged in a poster war with their PDP counterparts, Ikanya said: “We do not, however, consider this necessary in view of the fact that in APC we are one cohesive, vibrant and united family, with Governor Amaechi as our leader. We encourage those interested to run for public office to consult and campaign among members of the family first to receive their blessings and once they succeed in this regard, they can then go out to educate the public about their aspirations, including through posters and billboards. At the moment, most of the aspirants are involved in what I call in-house campaigns. By next week most of them will be encouraged by the family to go out for campaigns and people will start seeing massive posters and billboards all over the place to educate all about their aspirations.”
On why the party adopted this strategy, Ikanya said it was in view of the lack of any strong opposition in the state. His words: “PDP, which was supposed to be a vibrant opposition, is now in a sorrowful state with the help of former minister for education, whose imposition as governorship candidate has rendered the party in the state comatose, even as the 16 other gubernatorial aspirants from the party continue to kick, thereby making the party a laughing stock.”
The APC seems to bank on the expected revolt of the riverine masses to turn the tide. “The following statement by a political analyst underscores how Wike, former governor Peter Odili and the family of President Jonathan are helping us so much in our campaigns: ‘If Wike is allowed by the leadership of the PDP to emerge as governor of Rivers State, it will mean that for 24 years, the people of Rivers mainland would have ruled the state at the expense and great marginalisation of the other major ethnic nationalities.”
Silence is strategic, Ikanya assured, saying that the APC would present the best candidates for all the elective posts. “We are fully aware that Rivers people expect us to form the next government in the state and we don’t want to abuse this privilege. APC has been divinely set up to address the evil, injustice and lack of equity in PDP. Based on this fact we as a party have zoned our gubernatorial slot to the South-East Senatorial District. In this regard, as the government-in-waiting, we have been busy studying the report of the Research Team we commissioned to produce a blueprint on where we want to take Rivers State from 2015 to 2019”.
The APC seems to bank on the element of surprise to match PDP’s heavy arsenal, including the power of the presidency, the forcefulness of Wike, the attraction the national ruling party holds for a patronage-seeking populace, the assurance that the security forces would play a crucial role, and the power of money.
Observers said they were eager to find out how far this game of silence and the chess game by the PDP and the APC would last before the two combatants would emerge, one from each party. The PDP seems to bank on allowing the strongest gubernatorial force to emerge through an open contest; while the APC seems to bank on the gains of a consensus to coast home to the N4billion Brick House, the seat of power in the state.
Ignatius Chukwu
