Rotimi Amaech, former Governor of Rivers State, wanted to concentrate on his classroom activities rather than politics and therefore, decided to stay away from the campaigns of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday.
Instead of Amaechi,former Minister of Transportation, Nyesom Wike, his successor and a governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was on hand to receive the former Governor of Lagos State, into the state.
But, an explanation, came quickly for observers at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, with Darlington Nwauju, the party spokesman in the state, explaining that Amaechi, who is currently a law student, was facing his studies.
Nwauju, apparently to debunk the rumours that apart from losing to the second position against his former colleague governor, Amaechi and his supporters in the Rivers APC, were unhappy with what they saw as an unholy romance between Tinubu and Wike, and therefore decided to stay away, said: “If you are not aware, the former Transportation Minister is a Law school student and is attending to his academics. But you must also know that Amaechi is firmly in charge of the APC structure in Rivers State.”
Incidentally, Wike, has been reported in many quarters as supporting Tinubu instead of Atiku Abubakar, the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a platform, which through which he experienced his meteoric rise in power from council chairman, Minister of State for Education and finally, two-term governor.
Since losing out to the former VP, against whom he contested for the PDP presidential ticket on May 28, 2022 and the bid to be the running mate, Wike, has waged a relentless battle against the party apparatchik, refusing to be part of the campaign to return it to power, eight years after it lost it in 2015, after 16 years.
Though he denied being influenced by his losses, Wike has been at the forefront of the demands of the G-5 Integrity Group, which also includes Governors Seyin Makinde of Oyo, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu and Samuel Ortom of Benue, as well of as many top PDP members to demand for the ouster of Iyorchia Ayu, as the National Chairman of the party on the ground that the party’s constitution forbids the office and that of the President from coming from the same section of the country, in this case, the North.
The latest in the series of face-offs between the two camps, was the cancellation of the PDP presidential campaigns in Rivers State, which the party announced on Monday, citing different act of violence sponsored against the Atiku group in the state, which they see as capable of leading to bloodshed if the former VP, decided to campaign in the state.
But Tinubu, during the visit, demanded more than nice treatment given to him in the state, saying it must translate into votes from the people, with which he intended to pay the people back for their good gesture, by ushering in prosperity and protect their inheritance.
Hear him: “Here we are in the Rivers, it’s not fish we are looking for. It’s not the crayfish we are looking for. We have it in Lagos too. What we’re looking for is authority. Authority to change your lives for prosperity. Power and mandate to give you the best of life, to take care of your inheritance.
“To make sure all of you, particularly the youths, are empowered to have the best skills in the world, that can manufacture, can produce things other countries want, things that can be produced for export from Nigeria, that can make Nigeria a nation of prosperity, joy and happiness beyond one day.
“Without our own factories, without better utilisation of our ports, without peace and stability, we cannot achieve those aims and dreams. We want you to take your lives seriously, beyond politics.I will become your President by the power of your votes. Make sure you have your PVCS. Make sure your votes and ballots are ready. You will vote for me as your President. And I pray one day you will be President too.
“We must work together to stop the vandalisation of oil assets. Let’s work hard together, let’s build a nation of joy and unity, a nation that is hardworking, a nation that is working together in unity, not killing one another.”