It came even as a shocker to Senator Magnus Abe, when the All Progressives Congress, AP,C in Rivers State led by Governor Rotimi Amaechi chose Hon Dakuku Peterside as the consensus candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.
To even the most skeptic of Abe’s supporters, the general belief was that the governorship ticket of the APC in the state would be Abe’s, given his visibility in pro-Amaechi campaigns and what he is said to have gone through in the hands of anti-Amaechi forces.
However, the recent turn of events has left many wondering what could have gone wrong in a relationship perceived by many outsiders as chummy.
Very close sources revealed that there were many factors that influenced Amaechi’s choice of Hon Peterside ahead of Senator Abe. The most prominent of the factors came from a most unlikely source, a prophet who acts as the governor’s spiritual guardian. A prominent general overseer of one of the leading new generation churches is believed to have warned Governor Amaechi over a year ago not to support Senator Abe’s governorship ambition as, according to the Imo State-born spiritualist, Senator Abe would betray him (Amaechi).The man of God is believed to have warned the governor sternly about allowing the Ogoni-born senator to succeed him because, according to him, Senator Abe would dump the governor as soon as he gets to the Brick House. Since this warning coming from someone the governor holds in high spiritual regard, the fate of Abe succeeding Amaechi as governor was effectively over.
Another factor that counted against Senator Abe was the fact that Governor Amaechi does not trust his loyalty enough. The senator was already a commissioner in Peter Odili’s government when Amaechi was the speaker of the State House of Assembly. So to the governor, it cannot be said that he made the senator, unlike Hon Peterside who was a commissioner under the governor and also rode on his back to the House of Representatives. The governor considers Peterside his political protégé and boy who can be easily controlled, unlike the independent minded Abe.
Rivers politics, they say, is more complicated than any other state in Nigeria. While many other states’ politics revolves around the three senatorial districts, Rivers politics involves what is called upland and riverine. Governor Amaechi from upland has insisted that power should shift to the riverrine. In shifting to the riverrine, the governor is said to be mindful of the largest voting bloc in the state – the Igbo speaking people. Based on the foregoing, he is believed to have chosen Peterside from Opobo, because people of the small island are Igbo speaking to counter the weight of Nyesom Wike, from Igbo speaking Ikwere who is most likely to emerge the Peoples Democratic Party’s flag bearer.
But the governor’s choice of Peterside has sparked protests, which the governor never envisaged. The Ogoni people who lay claims to a promise the governor allegedly made them that he was going to make Abe, their son, succeed him took to the streets yesterday protesting what they regard as grand betrayal by the governor.
The Ogonis, the second largest voting bloc in the state after the Ikweres, are insisting on the fact that it is either one of them or nothing. From sources, the governor is not likely to bulge, which may leave the Ogonis with no option than to join forces with opposition to get their pound of vengeful flesh from the governor.
Meanwhile, there are strong indications that Senator Abe may move back to the PDP. Close sources say that the senator and Wike are in advanced talks to this effect. One of the most trusted aides of the senator was sighted at Wike’s Port Harcourt residence at about 9:30pm, the night Peterside was chosen ahead of the senator.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
To even the most skeptic of Abe’s supporters, the general belief was that the governorship ticket of the APC in the state would be Abe’s, given his visibility in pro-Amaechi campaigns and what he is said to have gone through in the hands of anti-Amaechi forces.
However, the recent turn of events has left many wondering what could have gone wrong in a relationship perceived by many outsiders as chummy.
Very close sources revealed that there were many factors that influenced Amaechi’s choice of Hon Peterside ahead of Senator Abe. The most prominent of the factors came from a most unlikely source, a prophet who acts as the governor’s spiritual guardian. A prominent general overseer of one of the leading new generation churches is believed to have warned Governor Amaechi over a year ago not to support Senator Abe’s governorship ambition as, according to the Imo State-born spiritualist, Senator Abe would betray him (Amaechi).The man of God is believed to have warned the governor sternly about allowing the Ogoni-born senator to succeed him because, according to him, Senator Abe would dump the governor as soon as he gets to the Brick House. Since this warning coming from someone the governor holds in high spiritual regard, the fate of Abe succeeding Amaechi as governor was effectively over.
Another factor that counted against Senator Abe was the fact that Governor Amaechi does not trust his loyalty enough. The senator was already a commissioner in Peter Odili’s government when Amaechi was the speaker of the State House of Assembly. So to the governor, it cannot be said that he made the senator, unlike Hon Peterside who was a commissioner under the governor and also rode on his back to the House of Representatives. The governor considers Peterside his political protégé and boy who can be easily controlled, unlike the independent minded Abe.
Rivers politics, they say, is more complicated than any other state in Nigeria. While many other states’ politics revolves around the three senatorial districts, Rivers politics involves what is called upland and riverine. Governor Amaechi from upland has insisted that power should shift to the riverrine. In shifting to the riverrine, the governor is said to be mindful of the largest voting bloc in the state – the Igbo speaking people. Based on the foregoing, he is believed to have chosen Peterside from Opobo, because people of the small island are Igbo speaking to counter the weight of Nyesom Wike, from Igbo speaking Ikwere who is most likely to emerge the Peoples Democratic Party’s flag bearer.
But the governor’s choice of Peterside has sparked protests, which the governor never envisaged. The Ogoni people who lay claims to a promise the governor allegedly made them that he was going to make Abe, their son, succeed him took to the streets yesterday protesting what they regard as grand betrayal by the governor.
The Ogonis, the second largest voting bloc in the state after the Ikweres, are insisting on the fact that it is either one of them or nothing. From sources, the governor is not likely to bulge, which may leave the Ogonis with no option than to join forces with opposition to get their pound of vengeful flesh from the governor.
Meanwhile, there are strong indications that Senator Abe may move back to the PDP. Close sources say that the senator and Wike are in advanced talks to this effect. One of the most trusted aides of the senator was sighted at Wike’s Port Harcourt residence at about 9:30pm, the night Peterside was chosen ahead of the senator.
Source: Nigerian Pilot
