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Elizabeth Chukwuma
Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, appears o have known that by May 29, 2023, that he will be politically idle that he had started plotting his way to be Nigerian’s next President on the Platform of the Opposition People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
This may have informed why he has declared his Presidential ambition on Sunday, March 27, 2022, in the north central state of Benue, amidst a very large out, that was said to have been made possible by Samuel Ortom, the governor. His declaration of his Presidential ambition for the 2023, general elections, brings to three, the number PDP gladiators that have declared their interest to contest the 2023, Presidential election on the ticket of the PDP.
On Monday, March 28, 2022, he spoke out on why he wants to become President in 2023 after President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army General, who has apologised to Nigerians over the difficulties they are are going through in the recent because of the biting fuel scarcity. The Katsina state born Nigerian President had said that the government is working round the clock to solve the problem ahead of the 2023, general elections. Wike had said that that he wants to become President in order to solve the country’s problems. ”We are in problem and I want to offer myself to the people of this country to solve such problems”, he had said.
Godwin Emefiele, the Central Bank of Nigeia, CBN, whose posters has appeared in most major cities in the country as an All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential aspirants, may have have known the problems that that he had said that his focus was in ”solving the country’s macroeconomic challenges” including fighting ”inflation”. The CBN governor, who has refused to be dragged into politics had told those that cares o listen that his concern was” to develop a strong financial system in an an increasingly uncertain global economy for the country”.
He has volunteered information to show that he has focused on” the development finance and supporting farmers in and manufacturers in the country self sufficiency and import substitution drive”. He had revealed that the government over the last seven years had raised N15 trillion for infraCo infrastrustructur financing ”building a world-clas International financial centre in Lagos, the nation’s Commercial nerve center,ostensibly to make the Buhari Administration ”finish strong”.
In opening the flood gate of for the PDP Presidential aspirants to make their ambition public was Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and the Party Presidential Candidate in the 2019 , general elections at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
He has made Presidential declaration on the platform of the PDP, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, an event that was said to have been attended by Peter Obi, a former governor of the south east of Anambra, who also have Presidential ambition. Note that Obi, was Atiku’s running mate the running in the 2019, general. He has promised ‘’to focus on unity, security, economy, education and devolving more resources and powers to the federating units’’’.
The former Nigerian Vice President may have done his homework before coming out to make the public declaration of his Presidential ambition as he had met with former President Obasanjo in Ogun state. He was said to have boasted after the meeting with the former Nigerian President that he would emerge ‘’the Opposition party‘s flag bearer in the 2023, general elections.
Indeed, signs that Wike has a Presidential ambition began to manifest when he attacked Atiku’s remarks after the meeting with the Ogun state born politician and farmer, saying ‘’it undermined the integrity of the would-be delegates to the party primary’’. He had said that the former Vice President remarks was a clear indication that he would emerge the party Presidential Candidate, stressing that his Statement amounted ‘’to taking the would-be PDP delegates to the Party Presidential primaries for granted. He may have taken on Atiku to while down his chances.
Prior to his declaration to run for the 2023 Presidency on the ticket of the PDP, Wike, in the last three months have been involved in some deft political moves across the country and in the in the party. Last January, he has visited Sokoto, the Caliphate, to Commiserate with Aminu Tambuwal, a former Speaker of House of Representatives and now governor of te Caliphte tate over the killings by Bandits in the state. He was said to have also used the opportunity of the visit to the state to meet Muhammed Abubakar Sa’ad, a retired Brigadier General and Sultan of Sokoto, where he had condemned the killer gang in strong terms.
Putting on the garb of a politician, he has told the Sultan that the people of Rivers state have long-standing relationship with the people of the Sokoto, thanking the Sultan for ‘’the role he has been playing to ensure the stability of the country’’. He may have gladdened the heat of the Sultan when he made him to know that people acknowledge his efforts in trying to stabilise all the various religious and etnic groups across the country to understand that we have no other country other than Nigeria. He has his mindset focused on the Presidency and he needed the support of the Sultan.
Tambuwal, the state governor, who also has Presidential ambition may have read the body language of the August visitor that he was careful what he discussed with him to avoid rubbishing his own ambition. Although, he has not declared his Presidential ambition, he believes that Buhari, of the ruling APC, has failed because ‘’he did not understand Nigeria’’.
In Preparing the ground for his Presidential declaration, Wike , the Rivers governor, had attended the trial Solidarity trial of Jonah Jang, a retired Commodore, and former governor of Plateau state in a Jos High Court over alleged misappropriation of state funds during his Administration The former governor was beig tried alongside Yusuf Pam , an ex-Cashier in the office of the Secretary to the state government over a N6.3 billion fraud charges brought before the Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, under the close watch of Abdulrasheed Bawa.
The Niger Delta governor who was in the state on a reconciliatory visit at the instance of Iyorche Ayu, the party National Chairman, to ensure that the crisis among the various factional leaders in the party were resolved may have seen it as an opportunity to meet with state party Chieftains.
The Rivers gopvernor had expressed the party’s concern on the lingering misunderstanding between for governor Jang and the governorship aspirant of the Party, Jeremaiah Useni, a retired Lt. pGeneral.
He was said to have also visited Cross-river state to settle the lingering crisis in the party ahead of the 2023, general elections. Many believe that he has agreed to embark on the re conciliatory mission for the party Leadership because of his Presidential ambition.
Recall that Obi, Atiku’s running mate in the 2019, general elections has declared his intention to run for the 2023 Presidency on the ticket of the PDP , in the gathering of south east Traditional Rulersin Awka, Capital of Anambra state on Thursday, March 24, 2022.‘’I am here to inform you all that I will be aspiring for the post of President of Nigeria in 2023’’, he has told the traditional rulers.
Nigerians are waiting for Saraki, Tambuwal and Ayim Pius Ayim, Secretary to the government, during Goodluck Jonatha Administration, whose posters have dotted major cities in the country to make their declaration ahead of the party National Convention to keep to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,guideline.
Suffice to say that Atiku, Tambuwal or Wike, who is a late entrant into the race may win the PDP Presidential ticket, if it is eventually zoned to the south. Peradventure,the Rivers wins the party nomination, Tambuwal, the sokoto state governor may likely be running mate or vice versa for the 2023, general electons.
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