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At half time, it’s
Amaechi 3-0 Wike
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At half time, it’s Amaechi 3-0 Wike
October 26
12:56
2015
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👤by Mansur Ibrahim
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Exactly eight years ago, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former governor of
Rivers state, and Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, now governor of the state, were
best of friends.
By “exactly eight years ago”, I truly mean October 26, 2007. Just one
day earlier, the supreme court had declared Amaechi governor of the
state, saying he was the rightful candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) having won the party’s primary, rather than Celestine
Omehia, whom the party fielded.
At the time, Wike, as chairman of Obio-Akpor local government and
national president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria
(ALGON), greatly supported Amaechi’s campaign. They were buddies. So
happy were they that after Omehia was booted out of office, Amaechi
appointed Wike his chief of staff – a position that governors
traditionally allot to their most trusted ally.
Fast-forward eight years later and both men would not just see
eye-to-eye. It was Amaechi who nominated Wike for ministerial
appointment under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. But after Amaechi
fell out with Jonathan and left PDP, Wike chose to side with not his
old boss but his new one. Although both men have been at daggers drawn
ever since, it is only in 2015 that the real battles have been fought;
and so far, it is Amaechi who is having the upper hand.
2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1-0
As a minister in Jonathan’s cabinet and as a Rivers state governorship
aspirant under the PDP ticket, Wike staunchly opposed the candidature of
APC’s Muhammadu Buhari, whose campaign was spearheaded by Amaechi. With
Buhari polling a total of 15,424,921 votes ahead of Jonathan’s
12,853,162, not only did Nigeria have a new, Amaechi secured his first
victory over his former ally-turned-enemy.
MINISTERIAL NOMINATION, 2-0
Life is full of ironies. Or how does one explain that the chief
antagonist of a ministerial nominee is the same one who once became a
minister on the recommendation of the current nominee? Amaechi nominated
Wike to be minister when he was governor, but Wike has been the most
vociferous opponent of Amaechi’s ministerial nomination by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
To Wike, Amaechi is too corrupt to be minister. Once, he branded his
predecessor the most corrupt public office holder. “If Buhari is sincere
in his fight against corruption, let him probe the Amaechi’s government
and he will discover that there cannot be a government official that is
more corrupt than Amaechi,” he said through Opunabo Inko-Tariah, his
special adviser on media and publicity, shortly before the president
released the first list of nominees.
Of course, Amaechi had unkind words of his own, once describing Wike as a
man who would betray his mother for money. “Nyesom Wike loves and
worships money; he can betray his mother for money – nothing more,
nothing less,” he had said two days before the election that Wike ‘won’.
At some point, it did seem Amaechi would not even be screened by the
senate, much less emerge a minister. Time after time, his screening was
postponed following allegations of corruption to the tune of N70bn by
Rivers state senators. Finally, on Thursday October 22, Amaechi was
screened.
Although George Sekibo, a PDP senator from Rivers, has warned that it is
a thing to be screened and another to be confirmed minister, Amaechi,
based on the reception he enjoyed at the screening, can count on his
confirmation later this week. In any case, to have been screened alone
is itself one more victory over his tormentor-in-chief. Two nil.
RIVERS GOVERNORSHIP TUSSLE, 3-0
This is not closed yet, but it is quite some drama. Wike must have
thought he had pulled one victory over Amaechi, whose candidate, Dakuku
Peterside, he outwit by 1,029,102 votes to 124,896. In Nigerian
politics, victory at the polls is hardly the real victory; almost every
election loser goes to court, and the winner never really emerges until
the legal options have been exhausted.
Now, after the first legal option, the election petition tribunal, it
does seem Wike has a massive battle in his hands. The tribunal has
nullified his victory at the polls, and ordered fresh elections within
90 days. Jubilant Amaechi knows he has secured his third straight
victory over Wike.
But then, like it does happen in a game of football, even a three-nil
deficit advantage can quickly be overturned. In doubt? Ask the Saudi ’89
Flying Eagles, who were losing four nil to the Soviet Union as at the
61st minute, only to score four goals in 23 minutes before going on to
win 5-3 on penalties.
Perhaps Wike will recover in due course to show Amaechi that the servant
can, at times, outshine the master. But, for now, it’s Amaechi 3 – 0
Wike.
Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/half-time-amaechi-3-0-wike
Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/half-time-amaechi-3-0-wike
At half time, it’s
Amaechi 3-0 Wike
⌂Back To Homepage
Subscribe To RSS Feed
At half time, it’s Amaechi 3-0 Wike
October 26
12:56
2015
Print This Article
Share it With Friends
👤by Mansur Ibrahim
0 Comments
Advertisement
Exactly eight years ago, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former governor of
Rivers state, and Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, now governor of the state, were
best of friends.
By “exactly eight years ago”, I truly mean October 26, 2007. Just one
day earlier, the supreme court had declared Amaechi governor of the
state, saying he was the rightful candidate of the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP) having won the party’s primary, rather than Celestine
Omehia, whom the party fielded.
At the time, Wike, as chairman of Obio-Akpor local government and
national president of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria
(ALGON), greatly supported Amaechi’s campaign. They were buddies. So
happy were they that after Omehia was booted out of office, Amaechi
appointed Wike his chief of staff – a position that governors
traditionally allot to their most trusted ally.
Fast-forward eight years later and both men would not just see
eye-to-eye. It was Amaechi who nominated Wike for ministerial
appointment under the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. But after Amaechi
fell out with Jonathan and left PDP, Wike chose to side with not his
old boss but his new one. Although both men have been at daggers drawn
ever since, it is only in 2015 that the real battles have been fought;
and so far, it is Amaechi who is having the upper hand.
2015 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 1-0
As a minister in Jonathan’s cabinet and as a Rivers state governorship
aspirant under the PDP ticket, Wike staunchly opposed the candidature of
APC’s Muhammadu Buhari, whose campaign was spearheaded by Amaechi. With
Buhari polling a total of 15,424,921 votes ahead of Jonathan’s
12,853,162, not only did Nigeria have a new, Amaechi secured his first
victory over his former ally-turned-enemy.
MINISTERIAL NOMINATION, 2-0
Life is full of ironies. Or how does one explain that the chief
antagonist of a ministerial nominee is the same one who once became a
minister on the recommendation of the current nominee? Amaechi nominated
Wike to be minister when he was governor, but Wike has been the most
vociferous opponent of Amaechi’s ministerial nomination by President
Muhammadu Buhari.
To Wike, Amaechi is too corrupt to be minister. Once, he branded his
predecessor the most corrupt public office holder. “If Buhari is sincere
in his fight against corruption, let him probe the Amaechi’s government
and he will discover that there cannot be a government official that is
more corrupt than Amaechi,” he said through Opunabo Inko-Tariah, his
special adviser on media and publicity, shortly before the president
released the first list of nominees.
Of course, Amaechi had unkind words of his own, once describing Wike as a
man who would betray his mother for money. “Nyesom Wike loves and
worships money; he can betray his mother for money – nothing more,
nothing less,” he had said two days before the election that Wike ‘won’.
At some point, it did seem Amaechi would not even be screened by the
senate, much less emerge a minister. Time after time, his screening was
postponed following allegations of corruption to the tune of N70bn by
Rivers state senators. Finally, on Thursday October 22, Amaechi was
screened.
Although George Sekibo, a PDP senator from Rivers, has warned that it is
a thing to be screened and another to be confirmed minister, Amaechi,
based on the reception he enjoyed at the screening, can count on his
confirmation later this week. In any case, to have been screened alone
is itself one more victory over his tormentor-in-chief. Two nil.
RIVERS GOVERNORSHIP TUSSLE, 3-0
This is not closed yet, but it is quite some drama. Wike must have
thought he had pulled one victory over Amaechi, whose candidate, Dakuku
Peterside, he outwit by 1,029,102 votes to 124,896. In Nigerian
politics, victory at the polls is hardly the real victory; almost every
election loser goes to court, and the winner never really emerges until
the legal options have been exhausted.
Now, after the first legal option, the election petition tribunal, it
does seem Wike has a massive battle in his hands. The tribunal has
nullified his victory at the polls, and ordered fresh elections within
90 days. Jubilant Amaechi knows he has secured his third straight
victory over Wike.
But then, like it does happen in a game of football, even a three-nil
deficit advantage can quickly be overturned. In doubt? Ask the Saudi ’89
Flying Eagles, who were losing four nil to the Soviet Union as at the
61st minute, only to score four goals in 23 minutes before going on to
win 5-3 on penalties.
Perhaps Wike will recover in due course to show Amaechi that the servant
can, at times, outshine the master. But, for now, it’s Amaechi 3 – 0
Wike.
Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/half-time-amaechi-3-0-wike
Read more at: https://www.thecable.ng/half-time-amaechi-3-0-wike
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