Tensions have risen and nerves flared in the oil rich Rivers State over who occupies Brick House, Rivers State seat of power as the tenure of Governor Nyesom Wike ends on May, 29, 2023.
Politicians from both Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and that of All Progressives Congress party (APC) have started secret consultations across the state and political party lines to market themselves and convince every ear that cares to listen about their potentials and capacity to occupy Brick House in 2023.
In PDP, following the nod of the governor, no fewer than 13 aspirants have bought the governorship election forms and have set out machineries in motion to woo the critical stakeholders of the party ahead of the primaries.
Given the political permutations in the state, there are those in both PDP and APC pundits believes are to watch as it concern the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State.
Chieftains of the APC that have indicated interest to vie for the governorship seat are Prince Tonye Princewill, Dr Dakuku Peterside, Dr Dawari George, Senator Magnus Abe, Pastor Tonye Cole, Chief Ojikaye Flag Amachree, Dr Sokonte Davis, Chief Mina Tende, Biokpomabo Awara and Micheal West. The governorship aspirants of APC had on Monday agreed to collapse their structures to any one of them that emerges as the party’s governorship flag bearer.
The governorship aspirants of the PDP include; Felix Obuah, former Chairman of PDP in the state, Dr Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to Rivers State Government, Fara Dagogo, member representing Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency, Senator Lee Maeba, Dr Abiye Sekibo, former Transport Minister, Senator Thompson Sekibo, representing Rivers West in the Senate, Austin Opara, former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Chief Olaka Nwogu, a former House of Reps member, and Dr Das Alabo George, Special Assistant to Governor Wike on Projects, have bought the forms.
Major aspirants in APC
Prince Tonye Princewill
The scion of a prominent Kalabari traditional ruler, Princewill has not hidden his ambition to occupy the Rivers State’s seat of power. His burning desire to bring change in the governance pattern of the oil rich Rivers seems to be the reason behind his ambition to occupy Brick House since 2007 when he was the candidate of the Action Congress and in 2015 as the Labour Party governorship flag bearer. Princewill, our reporter learnt, has a very strong political movement from the grassroot where many youths, men and women were empowered through his philanthropic program.
Princewill seems to have begun his consultations with party stalwarts and leaders on the prospects of his intention to vie for the governorship ticket of the party.
He recently met with the local government leaders of both Port Harcourt and Obio Akpor local government areas and other party stalwarts in a series of closed-door meetings.
Dakuku Peterside
The immediate past managing director of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dakuku Peterside, is said to be nursing the ambition of occupying the Brick House in 2023. Despite his loss to Governor Wike in 2015, Peterside was believed to have made a strong showing in that very election. A two-time Commissioner in Rivers State and a member of House of Representative, Peterside is said to be a grassroots man and is said to be relying on his empowerment of Rivers youths during his foray in NIMASA and closeness to Amaechi as his selling point to grab the party’s ticket for the plum job.
Senator Magnus Abe
Senator Magnus Abe who could be described as a torn on the flesh of Amaechi in the control of APC in the state is still nursing the ambition of becoming the governor of Rivers State. Two attempts he made in 2015 and 2019 to secure his party ticket ended up in protracted litigation. Abe has not hidden his ambition to occupy Brick House and he is fighting very hard despite his disagreement with Rotimi Amaechi, whose loyalists are in control of the party executives in the state.
Pastor Tonye Cole
The chairman of Sahara Energy and a strong ally of Amaechi is said to be nursing the governorship ambition again after his chances of having a shot at the coveted seat was thwarted in 2019 when a legal battle denied the party from presenting candidates in the governorship election.
After his ambition to fly the party’s ticket failed, he was said to have gone back to his oil and gas business but analysts believe the Kalabari born politician is still interested in the 2023 guber election.
Dr Dawari George
A former federal lawmaker who represented the Asari-Toru/Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Dr. George is another politician to watch in the 2023 guber race in Rivers State.
George, who was a former Commissioner of Petroleum and Natural Resources under former Governor Rotimi Amaechi joined the billionaire-businessman Cole, Lulu-Briggs and Senator Abe, from Ogoni land to seek the ticket of the APC during the 2019 gubernatorial election in Rivers State but his ambition was frustrated by the court injunctions that stopped APC from fielding a candidate for the election.
Flag Ojukayi Amachree
A strong supporter of Chibuike Amaechi, the former APC chairman in the state is another politician to watch out for in the 2023 governorship election. A deep grassroots mobilizer, Ojukaye, who is a former Chairman of Asari toru local government area, is said to be loved by teeming youths of Rivers State because of his advocacy for youths’ involvement in political governance of the state. During his foray as Asari Toru local government chairman, he was said to have empowered so many youths through his dredging business.
Major aspirants in PDP
The PDP has remained the ruling party in Rivers State, except for the brief moment when then Governor Amaechi defected to the APC prior to the 2015 election. These are some of the aspirants aiming to get the ticket of the party.
Dumnamene Robinson Dekor
Fifty five-year-old Dumnamene Robinson Dekor is a politician from the Ogoni axis seeking to take over Bricks House in Port Harcourt. Dekor, who represented Khana II, was Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 2007 to 2011. He was appointed commissioner for Works in 2017 but later resigned to contest for the Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency where he is till date. Analyst believes that Dekor may use the marginalization of his Ogoni people in the scheme of things in Rivers State to make a case for his governorship ambition.
Felix Obuah
Popularly known as ‘Go Round,’ Felix Ameachi Obuah, a philanthropist and politician of note played a great role in the emergence of Nyesom Wike as the flagbearer of PDP in 2015. Obuah is believed to be cashing on his close link to the grassroots as the immediate past chairman of PDP in the state to clinch the party ticket.
Tammy Wenike Danagogo
The Kalabari born politician and Secretary to the State Government is another politician considered to be eminently qualified to fly the PDP ticket in 2023. A PhD holder in Law, Dr Danagogo is said to be the eyes of the governor in the Kalabari axis of the state where he was said to have mobilized grassroots support for the governor.
Dr Danagogo is said to be backing on riverine/upland dichotomy politics to assuage support and sympathy to actualise his ambition.
Fara Dagogo
The Degema-born politician representing Bonny/Degema Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives has braced all the odds against the directive of Governor Wike and declared his intention to vie for the 2023 governorship election.
Fara, who seems not to have a good relationship with Governor Wike declared weeks ago that he is going to contest the governorship election.
Dagogo was a very strong advocate of the Petroleum Industry Bill in the National Assembly, a move that garnered support from the grassroots.
Senator Lee Maeba
A former senator who represented Rivers South East Senatorial district has been nursing the ambition of becoming the governor of Rivers State since 2015. He could not get PDP’s nod to fly its ticket in 2015.
Senator Maeba, one of the strong supporters of Wike, has not made his intention to contest the 2023 governorship election known but those close to him said that he is still interested in the race.
Dumo Lulu Briggs
The scion of the late philanthropist OB Lulu Briggs is considering having another attempt at occupying the seat of power, having failed to accomplish his ambition under the platform of Labour Party in 2019. Dumo has used his foundation, OB Lulubriggs Foundation to empower many Rivers indigenes, especially the youths.
Briggs, who declared recently that he is going to contest the 2023 election, did not say the political party structure he is going to use.
Zoning
While some pundits say zoning is dead in Rivers State, others insist that the upland/riverine rotation is the only option on who occupies Brick House.
The upland/riverine dichotomy had been an unwritten agreement between the upland and riverine parts of Rivers where the governorship position rotates between the two areas. The upland had in the past produced Dr Peter Odili, Chibuike Amaechi and the present governor Nyesom Wike while the riverine had only produced Chief Rufus Ada George in 1992. The riverine communities of Rivers State are of the opinion that the next governor should come from there.
A coalition of over 40 Community Based Organisations (CBOs) which goes by the name Rivers Unity Alliance (RUA) in collaboration with the South-South chiefs, elders and opinion leaders, recently launched its quest for the emergence of a governor of riverine extraction in Rivers State in 2023.
The agenda tagged “Project 2023 Riverine Governor” was launched at a well-attended world press conference in Port Harcourt.
Speaking at the conference, the lead convener of Rivers Unity Alliance (RUA), Comrade Charles Inko-Tariah, stated that the coalition in conjunction with critical stakeholders was out to ensure that one of the numerous qualified personalities of riverine extraction in Rivers State emerges as governor in 2023.
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