Is your enemy’s enemy not automatically your friend? This is if the game of self interest is anything to go by. This seems to be what may play out in the endless political crisis in Rivers State which has long pitched two kinsmen and allies, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Nyeson Wike.
Amaechi’s strong ally, Magnus Abe, a senator, seems to have fallen out with his friend over gubernatorial ticket of the APC to challenge PDP’s Wike for 2019. In the ensuing bad blood, the senator (Abe) who was once rushed abroad by then Governor Amaechi over tear-gas attacks by federal-backed police team in Port Harcourt when Wike was minister, seems to develop soft spot for Wike, the sitting governor.
Wike is still Amaechi’s bitterest enemy and Abe seems to see reason for closing rank for the sake of development, he says. Now, a team of lawmakers including APC members from the House of Reps visited Wike last week and commended him for good works. APC in the state cried blue murder. Abe, the highest ranking lawmaker at the National Assembly from Rivers APC and in the Rivers Caucus, reacted.
Abe, representing Rivers South-East District in the National Assembly, declared that members of the Rivers State caucus in the House of Representatives consulted him before their visit to Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike.
Abe, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Thursday, November 17, 2017, by his spokesperson, Parry Saroh Benson, said contrary to media reports, the federal lawmakers were at Government House, Port Harcourt, on the invitation of the governor.
The senator said the comments made by the member representing Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency, Barry Mpigi, was manipulated by those seeking to score cheap political points.
The statement reads in part, “My attention has been drawn to the needless controversy surrounding the recent visit of the Rivers House of Reps caucus which includes members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the APC to the Rivers State Government House on the invitation of the governor.
“On receipt of the governor’s invitation I was consulted by the House of Representatives Caucus and I did not just agree, I insisted that members honour the governor’s invitation (which for the first time was extended to all parties).
“It is important that though we belong to different political parties we should maintain lines of communication within the government that will enable us to serve our people better, which is the reason we were elected in the first place. Rivers State is not the only state where some lawmakers and the governor are from opposing parties”.
According to the statement, “Barry Mpigi’s comment during the visit has been manipulated by those seeking to score cheap political points. Yes, Hon. Mpigi commended the governor but he also went further to say that the several areas in which the APC administration has done well the PDP should also find the courage to commend the APC government, as politics should not be a do-or-die affair.
“However, that part of speech which does feed the desired narrative of those seeking to exploit the visit for political gain has been carefully ignored. I urge all Rivers’ people without recourse to political affiliation to ignore the politics and focus on the positives”.
Many said this unfolding drama may see a new alliance between a faction of Amaechi’s followers and Wike, leading to a new dimension in the endless crisis in the state. The crisis has always been an in-house break-up: Peter Odili’s house broke up to create Omehia/Amaechi factions. Amaechi faction broke up to create the Wike camp. Now, the Amaechi camp seems set to give birth to the Abe faction.
Ignatius Chukwu
