PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: With the recent and increasingly tense showdown within the political landscape of Rivers State, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, the erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and a prominent figure in the All Progressives Congress (APC), has sounded a stern warning to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike. Eze has urged the controversial figure to desist from his habitual and domineering tendencies, which have allegedly encroached upon the personal and public lives of public officials, particularly those entrusted with the welfare of the people.
The latest episode in this ongoing political drama unfolds as a conflict between Rivers Governor Siminialayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike came to public attention over the weekend. The dispute has now evolved into what some characterize as a secessionist struggle for freedom and self-determination for Governor Fubara and his administration, as they strive to escape what they see as the overbearing influence of Wike.
This confrontation stemmed from a rift within the Rivers State House of Assembly, where members, under the apparent influence of FCT Minister Wike, were poised to initiate impeachment proceedings against Governor Fubara. Their motivation, it seemed, was rooted in Fubara’s divergence from Wike’s vision for the state and his embrace of programs championed by former Governor Chibuike Amaechi, designed to bolster the development of Rivers State.
Governor Fubara also rejected Wike’s efforts to exclude him from political activities both within and beyond the state, to the extent that he was even warned against attending political gatherings in Abuja, including the PDP-Governors Forum, of which he serves as Vice Chair.
Edison Ehie, the leader of the State House of Assembly, staunchly opposed the bid to impeach the Governor, contending that he had committed no impeachable offense. In response, Wike instructed the Assembly members to remove Ehie, thereby clearing the path for the Governor’s impeachment. This dramatic move led to a display of unseemly behavior by some members of the state legislature, who went to great lengths to appease Wike, even resorting to clandestine actions under the cover of darkness.
Expressing deep disappointment with these developments, Chief Eze painted Wike as an avaricious, unrefined, and unrepentant political ideologue, whose actions pose a threat to democracy and good governance, casting doubt on his fitness to be part of Nigeria’s contemporary political arena.
Eze called upon the people of Rivers State to rally behind Governor Fubara and rescue the state from the grasp of an individual who he perceives as an unscrupulous emperor. According to Eze, Rivers State is too sophisticated to be held captive by someone of Nyesom Wike’s caliber.
He decried the attempt to initiate an impeachment process against the Governor merely for attempting to revive the visionary programs of Chibuike Amaechi, such as the Songhai and the Greater Port Harcourt initiatives, aimed at promoting self-sufficiency and empowering the state’s youth.
Eze warned that Wike should not attempt to repeat his past tactic of using a small group of lawmakers to threaten Amaechi with impeachment, as he believes this attempt against Fubara will meet with resounding failure.
Finally, Eze offered counsel to President Tinubu, urging him to rein in FCT Minister Nyesom Wike before his actions plunge the nation into an unprecedented crisis, and to the IGP Kayode Egbetokun, he advised directing the Police Command in Rivers State to abstain from involvement in the state’s political affairs to preserve the police force’s reputation.
