The 2015 general election may have come and gone. What remains now are the ripple effects of that election. The election was basically a two-horse thing: on the one hand was the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the party that ruled the country like a behemoth for 16 years – 1999-2015; the other party is the All Progressives’ Congress, APC – an amalgamation of some political parties that came together in order to be able to uproot the dominant PDP at the 2015 elections
Though the APC achieved its aim by uprooting the PDP at the centre in the election, nevertheless, the party’s outing in the South-south geo-political zone was nothing to write home about. In that zone, the APC did not win any gubernatorial contest. Besides, in the presidential election where the party fielded Muhammadu Buhari, the incumbent president as its presidential candidate, the party also performed woefully. In the presidential election results in the South-south, while Goodluck Jonathan, the then president and PDP presidential candidate scored a total of 4, 714, 725, Buhari and the APC scored a miserable 418, 590 representing less than 10% of the total votes cast at the election.
The implication of this was that the South-south geo-political zone may have rejected the APC at the polls. But what Buhari lost in the South-south at that election was more than compensated for with the phenomenal votes he garnered in the North and South-west of the country. It was apparent that the 2015 election was characterized by all forms of electoral malpractices in all parts of the country. The only saving grace was that Nigerians were unanimously determined not to be driven to the precipice by the outcome of that election.
Now, the cookie seems to be crumbling and crumbling fast. Last week alone, the table turned against the governors of both Akwa Ibom and Rivers states. First was Akwa Ibom where the state’s election tribunal invalidated the election results in 18 out of the 31 Local Government Areas in the state. Barely four days later, the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked Nyesom Wike as the Rivers State governor and called for fresh election within 90 days. In neighbouring Bayelsa State, in the next few weeks, precisely on December 5, voters will troop to the polls to elect a new governor. The contest is between Seriake Dickson, the incumbent governor who is contesting on the ticket of the PDP, and Timipre Sylva, a former governor of the state and candidate of the APC. Both of them are contesting for a second term as governor.
Therefore, in the next few weeks and months, attention will be focused on the elections in the South-south geo-political zone of the country where the APC – the ruling party at the centre – will possibly put in everything to make in-road into the heart of South-south politics. The three afore-mentioned states – Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa – are major oil-producing states in the country with huge petro-dollars. Perhaps, many observers of the politics of the South-south saw the shockers in both Akwa Ibom and Rivers states coming. To many, the tribunals’ verdicts were merely a confirmation of widespread allegations that the April 2015 governorship elections in the two states were tainted by widespread discrepancies and electoral malpractices.
Similarly, the result of the impending election in Rivers State may go either way. In the first instance, the two main gladiators in that state are Wike, the sitting governor and Rotimi Amaechi, the immediate past governor of the state. Amaechi is the backbone of Dakuku Peterside, the APC’s governorship candidate in Rivers. Both Amaechi and Wike were like five and six a few years ago, until politics tore them apart. In fact, those who are close to the duo, say, Wike was like Amaechi’s godfather, a Rock of Gibraltar of sort behind Amaechi’s exploits as a former governor of Rivers State. He was alleged to be Amaechi’s Man Friday until they fell out. Both men are said to be very conversant with the intrigues of power such that they know each others’ strength and weaknesses, a knowledge they will be ready to deploy to individual advantage. That is why the coming contest promises to be a battle royal.
The preponderance of opinion is that if care is not taken, Wike may outsmart Amaechi once again in the next election. But it all depends on the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment in the case filed by Wike against the sitting of the electoral tribunal that has now given him the red card. Added to this is the fact that in the last five months that Wike has been in office as governor, he has tried to demonstrate some semblance of leadership through some populist actions. These actions include, paying the salaries of university and judicial workers who were being owed several months salaries before he came into office as well as embarking on massive filling of pot holes on major roads in Port Harcourt. And contrary to the initial fears that his regime would witness the escalation of the activities of touts on the streets of Port Harcourt, he actually removed the Transport Marines otherwise known as T-Marines and replaced them with regular police. This move brought sanity to the otherwise chaotic traffic administration in the state.
As for Amaechi, his ‘opponent’, a good number of people believe he started well as governor and did well for the state particularly in his first term but inexplicably derailed during his second term. This was the time he acquired so many enemies and took several actions that did not go down well with people. Such actions include some of the properties he demolished like the Teaching Hospital that was demolished under the guise that a better monument would replace it but which has remained desolate till date.
Mention is also made of the cultural centre housing several halls and other conveniences which was demolished and acquired by Silverbird Group. People say that the Silverbird Cinema built on that land is nothing near the edifice that was originally there. The mono-rail project which his government spent so much on but which has led to nowhere is another sore point for the former governor. Above all, a good number of people are of the opinion that Peterside, the candidate of the APC, who had earlier slugged it out with Wike and will still face him again in the coming election, is more or less an Amaechi stooge who will continue his (Amaechi’s) agenda in Rivers State. And they may not want a return to the past which should better be forgotten.
- To be continued.
- NATION
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