The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has ridiculed Governor Nyesom Wike over the politicians he has been inviting to commission projects in the state, telling the governor, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to further invite President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump of the United States and President Vladimir Putin of Russia to commission projects in Rivers State so as massage his ego. The party ridiculed Wike that those politicians he invited to commission projects in Rivers State cannot in any way influence election outcomes in the state.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), in a statement in Port Harcourt declared that Rivers State is under siege. He chided former APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who predicted the defeat of the APC governorship candidate in Rivers. Eze expressed that democracy in Rivers State is under a threatening siege in the remaining days of the administration of outgoing Governor Nyesom Wike.
Chief Eze asserted that “having perceived imminent failure in the plot to use the judiciary to scheme Rivers APC and her candidates out of the 2023 elections to pave way for an unchallenged ride to victory for the candidates of the PDP in the state, the Governor has now resorted to an arbitrary use of the powers of his office by promulgating and handing-out executive orders that clearly contravene and trample on the right of other political parties and candidates to freely exercise their constitutionally guaranteed power to freely canvass for votes as is normal in a society that operates under the rule of law.”
Eze cautioned that political parties, candidates, and the lettered Rivers public must not be stocked like pieces of furniture and receive orders and prohibitions from a governor who now looks like an oppressor.
He said that Governor Wike’s biggest nightmare seems to be the inclusion of the APC on the ballot in 2023 under a free and credible contest; warning but people must stand and resist the tyrannical tendencies and crude excesses of the power-drunk mediocre who has crossed his bounds and should only be bluffed into surrendering to strong caution.
Eze in the statement declared: “I have watched the sad state of Governor Nyesom Wike and all the efforts he is making to see a way to survive what awaits him in 2023.
“He has appointed 200,000 youths to be paid a meagre allowance of N20,000 for them to risk their lives to sustain an administration that has ravaged and scuttled their progress this past seven years.
“Not satisfied with this ulterior motive, he has enacted very undemocratic and draconian laws termed Executive Order 21 & 22 which clearly contradict both the Electoral Laws and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is only in the powers of the Police and INEC to monitor and regulate political parties’ rallies and no State government is empowered to regulate or sanction political parties and regulate electioneering campaigns as Wike is currently doing in Rivers State. All these demonstrate and expose his fears; he has no chance to impose any candidate anymore on the people of Rivers State.”
Eze recall that the Governor was sponsoring a litany of court cases against most of the parties and their candidates in Rivers State with the hope of paving way for his candidates to contest the 2023 general election unopposed; a plot that is still not possible.
Eze said with the calibre of political juggernauts that the APC currently parades as candidates for the 2023 general elections, Wike’s PDP faction has no chance in any free and fair election in the State.
According to Eze: “With the invitation of APC Governors and leaders outside the State to commission his projects and sing his praises, coupled with his failed attempt to join APC from the backdoor, Governor Wike is drowning deeper and deeper and the 2023 elections will see the end of his power-drunkenness because the result will introduce a new order.”
Eze declared: “unless Governor Wike wants to join the APC from Lagos or any other State, if not, he has a moral obligation to first tender an unreserved apology to Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is the leader of APC in the State, as none of those deceiving him can influence his admission into the party without following due process.”
Noting the infamous statement attributed to Adams Oshiomhole, the Deputy Director General of APC Presidential Campaign Council that, “The energetic youths of Rivers State will join Gov. Wike to vote and defeat the governorship candidate of my party, APC, in Rivers State,” Eze said that this is the most demeaning and self-embarrassing statement any leader can make against his own political party.
Eze noted that though some APC members are aware of Oshiomhole’s anger and the bitterness of those he represents, who ensured that APC never contested the 2019 general elections in Rivers State, he assured that the times have changed and all negative efforts and energies will be collapsed no matter the level of conspiracy against the party in Rivers State.
Eze congratulated Wike for all what he called the futile efforts in inviting characters like Oshiomhole to bid his wish who doesn’t respect the APC structure in Rivers State.
Eze encouraged Wike “not to stop at inviting APC leaders for his commissioning but should go further to invite world leaders like Joe Biden, the President of USA, the former USA President, Donald Trump, and if possible invite Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, the Russian President, as they will be happy to promote him in his elusive pipe dream vision of being relevant in the politics of Nigeria.”
Eze expressed happiness that none of the Praise Singers are voters in Rivers State and thus have no influence to determine the voting pattern during the general elections of 2023, adding, “so, their utterances and schemes have no meaning as Rivers people are the ones to determine who governs them come 2023 and not people with questionable characters and dented images.”
Eze commending the PDP leadership and the members for saving Nigeria from the disaster of Wike’s Presidency, encouraged all APC members not to be deterred by the machinations of those that are very aware that their time is up in the politics of Rivers and Nigeria.
IBRAHIM UMARU ARDO
November 23, 2022 at 2:07 pm
The projects Governor has done enough for his state,i would have loved the “talkative”Governor to invite Governor Tambuwal to commission one of his projects , the difference is clear