Wike Wins Rivers Ticket Despite Wide Protest

 
A former Minister of State for Education, Chief
Nyesom Wike, has been elected the PDP
governorship candidate for Rivers State.
At the primary held at Community Secondary
School, Nkpolu-Oroworukwu, Wike polled 1,083
out of the total 1,108 votes cast in the election
in which 24 aspirants were cleared to contest.
But his victory has been pooh-poohed by a
league of disenchanted aspirants who have
described the exercise as a sham.
Dumbari Dimkpa got 21 votes, Ibinabo Michael-
West 3 votes, while Senator Lee Maeba and Mr.
Emmanuel Georgewill got one vote each.
Of the 24 aspirants cleared for the primary
election, only seven were at the election venue
while 17 stayed away. Those sighted at the
venue included Wike, Michael-West, maeba,
Georgewill, Atamuno Ajiba Atamuno, Dimkpa and
Sunday Nwankwo.
Most of the aspirants under the umbrella of
Rivers Mainstream Coalition did not attend the
primary election.
These include Prince Tonye Princewill, Dumo
Lulu-Briggs, Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, Lancelot
Inyanya, Nimi Walson-Jack, Gabriel Pidomson
and Sylva Opusunju, among others.
In his acceptance speech, Wike thanked
members of the party for the mantle entrusted
on him and called on those who contested
against him to join hands to ensure that the PDP
won all elections in the state.
He said: “I am deeply humbled and elevated by
the electoral success achieved today at this
state congress of our great party, the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP). It is unique and special
that you have found us worthy to be entrusted
with the enormous responsibility of flying the flag
of the party by electing me governorship
candidate in the 2015 elections in Rivers State."
Wike declared that the PDP was ready to reclaim
the Brick House, which he said was taken away
by the governor of the All Progressives Congress
(APC).
In a statement issued by the spokesman of the
coalition, Sotonye Ijuye-Dagogo, it said: “Rivers
Mainstream Coalition condemns the show of
shame called the Rivers PDP governorship p
rimaries.
“We reject it in its entirety and we shall make our
position known soonest. All coalition partners
should rest assured that we shall not concede
our state to rogue politicians. We advise that
you wait for the next action.”