The Ogoni endorsement of Wike

All over Rivers State, the people
irrespective of their ethnicity and location
have taken a decision to embrace
inclusive development driven by a sound,
committed and River-centric politician for
the envisaged growth of the state. The
decision has been taken to do away with
unnecessary acrimony to divert the
attention of the people from the obvious
developmental deficiencies across the
state and focus on the enthronement of a
leader, prepared and equipped to deliver.
That is fundamentally the reason behind
the several endorsements of Barrister
Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Rivers State PDP
Governorship Candidate from all ethnic
groups in the state and from all walks of
life. Barrister Wike during his meet the
PDP delegates’ tour of the 23 LGAs of the
state got intra-party endorsements from
across the state which led to his
overwhelming victory at the governorship
primary on December 8, 2014.
With the governorship primary over, the
endorsements have taken an inter-party
outlook. Rivers people from all other
political parties especially the APC have
whole-heartedly joined the winning train
in the interest of the development of
Rivers State. This played out on Thursday,
December 18, 2014 at Bori, the
headquarters of Ogoniland when Ogoni
leaders and people from all political
parties, traditional institutions, socio-
cultural organizations in unison endorsed
Barrister Wike to take over from the
outgoing administration in the state and
right all developmental wrongs in the
state.
To put paid to tricks of sponsored
analysts, Ogoni leaders insisted that the
event be beamed live to Nigerians on
national television.
Therefore, Nigerians watched as several
thousands of Ogoni people endorsed
Barrister Wike, handed him the Ogoni flag
and placed a demand on him to use his
political skills and his infrastructural
implementation experience to salvage
Rivers State. They agreed to disregard all
ethnic sentiments being sponsored by the
outgoing administration in the interest of
the state.
It was publicly agreed at the epoch-
making event that the era of deceit is
effectively over and the era of
development has been ushered in. The
leaders and people of Ogoni anointed
Barrister Wike and handed him the
leadership of Rivers State, symbolized by
the handing over of the Ogoni flag to him,
which he flew across the streets of Bori
as a sign of his commitment to live by his
avowed promises to make a difference in
the state.
It is necessary to outline the key Ogoni
leaders who publicly presented the
position of Ogoni people to work for and
overwhelmingly vote Barrister Wike,
President Jonathan and all PDP
candidates in the year 2015.
In his address, Ogoni leader and PDP
Rivers South East Senatorial Candidate,
Chief Olaka Nwogu said that the decision
of Ogoni people to vote Nyesom Wike was
borne out of the fact that he is a sincere
and development conscious leader who
will not fail the people.
Former Rivers State Finance
Commissioner, Mr Kenneth Kobani urged
the Ogoni people to continue with their
support for Barrister Wike as it would
attract the needed democracy dividends,
rather than the divisive politics that
characterised the outgoing
administration.
Mr Dum Deekor, PDP House of
Representatives Candidate for Khana/
Gokana Federal Constituency noted that
Ogoni people are working hard for a
Jonathan/Wike overwhelming victory in
2015.
Mrs Sarah Ntor-Ije, President Ogoni
Unique Mothers declared that all women
groups in the area have jointly endorsed
Barrister Wike, President Jonathan and all
PDP candidates for the 2015 elections.
Former Tai LGA Chairman, Chief Ejor Ejor
stated that the Ogoni endorsement of
Barrister Wike was borne out of the desire
to ensure that Rivers State become a
developmental cynosure of all Nigerian
eyes. He said that Rivers State cannot
survive another four years of exportation
of resources of the state to sponsor
opposition politics.
The Ogoni Governorship Aspirant,
Dumbari Dimkpa who came second
during the PDP Governorship Primary
announced his endorsement of Barrister
Wike. He stated that members of his
campaign organization have fused with
other PDP members from Ogoniland and
across the state to work for a Wike and
PDP victory in 2015.
The Thank You tour by Barrister Nyesom
Wike attracted thousands of Ogoni people
from Tai, Eleme, Gokana and Khana LGAs
of the Ogoni ethnic nationality.
During the Ogoni endorsement, Rivers
State PDP Governorship Candidate,
Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike assured
the Ogoni people of the state that he
would ensure that they experience
massive infrastructural and human
development when he assumes office as
the governor in 2015.
The governorship candidate of the PDP
stated he was in the area to specially
thank the people for backing him during
the PDP governorship primary on
December 8.
He stated that the votes of Ogoni
delegates from the four councils of the
area pushed him to victory and ensured
that the march towards a developed
Rivers State premised on the unity of all
ethnic nationalities was set in motion.
Barrister Wike declared that with recent
political happenings in the state, it was
now obvious to the Ogoni people that their
future remains in the PDP as they have
been deceived and dumped by the
Outgoing administration in the state.
He regretted that while some Ogoni
leaders were deceived to fight President
Jonathan, the outgoing governor who
promised them that they would succeed
him abandoned the Ogoni people at the
eleventh hour and chose his crony.
According to him: “PDP remains the only
hope of the Ogoni people. It is the only
party collectively owned by the people
where leaders emerge through internal
democracy. In the APC, one man sits
down and singlehandedly appoints the
governorship candidate. Of course, he
betrayed the Ogoni people.
“I am part of the Ogoni people. My
administration will be for all communities
and ethnic nationalities of Rivers State.
Our people will once again witness
inclusive governance, where no group will
be shut out. I will work with all
stakeholders, both Federal and State to
ensure that we address all environmental
and infrastructural challenges in the
area”.
He said that Ogoni people now know
those who love them and those who
merely use them for cheap politics, saying
that President Jonathan has started the
process of implementing the UNEP report
and the construction of a major road in
Ogoniland. He urged the people to vote
PDP candidates in the forthcoming
elections.
The New Rivers Vision 2015 championed
by Barrister Wike is a developmental
blueprint targeted at moving Rivers State
forward in the areas of infrastructure,
human capital development, education,
tourism, health, industrialization, rural
development, inclusive governance and
productive synergy with the Federal
Government and neighbouring states to
deliver on the en-visioned expectations of
the people.
The blueprint also lays premium on
economic development, strategic
international relations, judicious usage of
state resources, accountability, youth and
women empowerment, sports
development, agricultural revival and the
development of ethnic friendship to rebuild
Rivers State.
Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has
explained his vision for a new Rivers State
to leaders and peoples of all ethnic
groups and non-indigenes in Rivers State,
hence the groundswell of support for him
to salvage the state in 2015. No other
candidate has done this, hence their resort
to blackmail and campaign of calumny.
However, as we have always maintained,
the moving train of the Rivers people
cannot be stopped by a few misguided
sponsored gossips as it is focused on
getting to its destination –Government
House, Port Harcourt otherwise known as
Brick House.
•Nwakaudu is Special Assistant (Media)
to Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, PDP
Governorship Candidate, Rivers State.