GAME-CHANGER: EZE NYESOM WIKE

Rivers State Governor Eze Nyesom Wike has become the unlikely game changer in the 2023 presidential election, deploying deft political footwork

There have been two major events in the political life of Governor Nyesom Wike that indicated his fighting spirit and which, if the PDP apparatchiks had been diligent enough, should have told them what a hard nut they had in Wike to crack. But they underestimated the man and, today, he and his band of political heavyweights, are on their way to engineering what could be the party’s loss in a general election they were poised to win.

The two events seemed innocuous enough but they showed the sagacity of Wike. The first was in 2006/7 when the PDP, playing to then President Olusegun Obasanjo’s script, substituted the name of Rotimi Amaechi with that of Celestine Omehia as the party’s candidate for governor in the 2007 election. This was based on a spurious report after Amaechi had won the party’s primary. Amaechi had been speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and though the State Governor Dr Peter Odili wanted Amaechi to succeed him, Obasanjo who was president and leader of the party desired otherwise. After Amaechi was substituted and PDP won the election with Omehia sworn in as governor, Amaechi challenged the decision to substitute him. While the case was on Amaechi left the prosecution of the case in the hands of Wike while he relocated to Ghana in fear for his life. Wike stayed back and led the opposition. Amaechi’s lawyers won and he was subsequently sworn in. Wike became his chief of staff. The second case was in 2014/5 at which time Wike had fallen out with Amaechi. He remained in the PDP 2herr he was minister of state for education in President Goodluck Jonathan’s government while Amaechi defected to the APC. Amaechi was determined to produce a successor from the APC but Wike who had got the PDP governorship ticket bested him even though APC won the presidency. He repeated the feat in 2019 through deft politicking and a display of superior political gamesmanship.

He launched his presidential campaign for the party ticket but lost to Atiku Abubakar in controversial circumstances. After he lost, he was further pained by the shenanigans by the party to not, as he saw it, only humiliate him but denigrate his standing in the party after putting a spirited campaign that saw him coming a close second to Atiku. He also felt betrayed by some to his friends and others in the party who, rather than pleading for genuine reconciliation, wrote him off. What then made the PDP leaders including its National Chairman Dr Iyorchia Ayu and Presidential Candidate Atiku think they could simply browbeat Wike?

Tsunami Wike has become the greatest destabilising factor for Atiku in next year’s election. Wike has built a formidable team along with Benue State governor Samuel Ortom, Oyo State governor Makinde, Enugu State governor Ugwuanyi, Abia State governor Ikpeazu, that has vowed to ensure that Atiku loses the election. For effect, Governor Ortom has stated that Benue State will not support the PDP presidential candidate, along with Makinde in Oyo State. It is a tough coalition of five governors out of the PDP’s 13 governors in states that are not only important to win because of their size but more importantly because of the tough contest for votes in the 2023 presidential election.

Wike has captured the imagination of Nigerians with the manner he has been able to keep his coalition together. In Rivers State, he has deployed his extensive grassroots network to work for Atiku’s failure in the state. Rivers State has one of the largest electoral numbers in the south, along with the most populous Lagos state and Oyo State. While inaugurating a team of over 100,000 special assistants he appointed for the election in Port Harcourt, the state capital, Governor Wike said he will work to ensure that PDP wins all the positions it has fielded candidates for, except the presidential candidate, who he adds has insulted the Rivers people by not acceding to their democratic demand that the national chairman of the party and the candidate cannot both come from the north.

In the governor’s own words: “PDP will win our state. I am not hiding it as far as the governorship, House of Representatives, Senate and state Assembly is concerned. The other one (presidency) we have not decided, until the right thing is done.” The position has clearly disoriented the PDP national campaign. The main opposition party seemed to have been drained of energy so early into the campaign and does not seem to have a clear strategy to get out the votes in the south, especially its base of the southeast and southsouth, where the sentiments are with Wike over his demand for power shift and equity in the distribution of party offices.

As of now, it is not clear who Wike will back for president. He and his team have played hosts to delegations from the All Progressives Congress and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party. Makinde has given tacit support to the APC presidential candidate Tinubu. At a function in Akure presided over by Pa Reuben Fasoranti, leader of Afenifere, the Yoruba socio political group, Makinde was represented by his deputy who stated clearly that the state will support Tinubu. Benue State has leaned more towards Labour Party’s Obi but other states have not been too clear on where their support will swing.

When Wike started this insurgency in the PDP some weeks after the primary election and Atiku’s selection of Dr Okowa as his VP candidate, it was dismissed by many within the PDP and beyond. It was reasoned that the protest will not have traction. But, deft politicking, the kind that saw him almost clinch the party’s presidential ticket, has sustained his coalition. As the campaigns progress, analysts will be on the lookout whether Team Wike can truly impact the election outcome. But, even now, it is clear that Wike is proving to be the game changer in the 2023 presidential election race.