Reports reaching our news desk indicated that a former United Nations Special Envoy to Middle East has predicted the final political fall of Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.
In a telephone conversation Saturday morning but with specific instruction not to be named, the Envoy lamented the growing trend in Nigeria’s opposition People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), saying that if not urgently checked, the party’s performance in the 2023 general elections will be woeful.
He was particularly worried about the fall-out of the PDP’s presidential primaries in which “Nyesom Wike has turned a rebel.”
Reacting to the news making the rounds that Governors Nyesom Wike, Seyi Makinde and Samuel Ortom have, yet again, travelled to London on Friday to deliberate on their next move against PDP and Atiku, the Envoy cautioned that Wike must slow down on his antagonism against the party because his political fall would be “cataclysmic.”
“Wike ought to know when to soft pedal in a political war of this nature. He is behaving as if he is bigger than the party. Governor Okowa seems to be more intelligent than Wike. Okowa is calculative and he is winning more converts to the PDP everyday without being loquacious.
“But Wike, on the other hand, is talking and boasting everyday as if he owns the party.
“He is aggrieved, no doubt. He has a good case, no doubt. But he should know when to apply the brake otherwise, he would just blow himself into political irrelevance sooner than expected.
“First, the forces against him in Rivers State are mountainous. It is not every one that is comfortable with his choice of governorship candidate.
“Therefore, he has internal forces to contend with. He has Magnus Abe with his pool of followers to contend with. He has Rotimi Amaechi to contend with.
“There are voters within and outside PDP who are aggrieved that Governor Wike has wasted too much Rivers State resources on his personal presidential ambition at a time poverty pervades the neighbourhood across the communities in the State.
“There are also the growing OBIdient loyalists, in millions, who are mostly youths with budding energy to stay the struggle 247.
“So, with all these contending forces, how is Wike even sure that he would be able to deliver Rivers State votes this time to any candidate he decides to work for?
“It is only in Rivers State that he has influence as a serving governor. As things stand in Rivers, nothing is sure for Wike because he is not directly on the ballot.
“Wike cannot influence votes outside Rivers State because his style is becoming boring and pedestrian. Why the brag.
“Anti graft agencies are keeping watch on his financial recklessness.
“The idea of travelling overseas almost every week with government resources because of his personal political ambition does not settle well with his followers.
“He is so blind with ambition that he does not see it that way. That waste of resources would partly add to his down fall. People and voters will revolt against him at the poll and he would fall flat. He should be careful,” the Envoy admonished.
Nyesom Wike had contested the 2023 PDP’s presidential ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and he failed.
The Rivers State Governor had anticipated being picked as Atiku’s running mate. That, again, failed.
He felt aggrieved and mobilized some serving and ex PDP governors to embark on a revolt mission against Atiku and his running mate, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Part of the strategies to ensure a bigger bargain in the 2023 political project has seen Wike romancing all shades of politicians including stalwarts in the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) and other political parties.
Sources aver that his latest sojourn overseas would crareta another opportunity for Wike and his team to meet the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to conclude talks started weeks ago.”
