As the race for 2023 electioneering campaigns hots up, many Rivers politicians are jostling for each other’s throats. These are members of the 2 major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress-(APC).
Most of the political battles fought from 1999 to date have shown how the major players have turned blind eyes to forgiveness and reconciliation. They are living out the popular saying that “politics has no permanent enemy but permanent interest.”
Here in Rivers only a few inconsequential politicians who are no threats to the bigger politicians, are the ones who move from one political party to another, defecting and seeking better opportunities, while the other major players sit and watch events and their loyalists engage in street fights.
RUFUS ADA GEORGE VS DR. PETER ODILI
After their days in National Republican Convention-NRC from 1991 to November 1993 when they were Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State, the duo has vowed never to belong to the same political camp. It is on record how these politicians of note have vowed never in their lifetime to forgive each other and reconcile. There are no political ideologies that separate them but eternal hurt and enmity. The case of former elected Governor Rufus Ada George and his Deputy Dr. Peter Odili is fresh. Dr. Peter Odili in 1998 had to leave the All Peoples Party APP and moved over to Peoples Democratic Party-PDP. Both are now permanent political enemies.
CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI VS DR. PETER ODILI
Again, the former elected Governor of Rivers State and Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi once had a robust master and servant relationship with Peter Odili but today are avowed political enemies. In 1999 when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came on board, both embraced it as the political party that brought them into office as Governor of Rivers State and Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly until 2007 when Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi had what was popularly described by the then President Olusegun Obasanjo as political K-Leg when his PDP Gubernatorial primary election victory was upturned and awarded to his cousin Barrister Celestine Omehia. In February 2007, the embattled Speaker Rivers State House of Assembly went into safe-exile in Ghana until the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the 25th of October 2007 declared Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi the duly elected Governor of Rivers State for having emerged winner of PDP’s Governorship Primary election which was conducted in December 2006 at Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt whereas Celestine Omehia never participated in the PDP governorship Primary election as its only political party that can sponsor candidates to contest electoral offices in Nigeria. Thus began the unforgivable political enmity between Dr. Peter Odili and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as both can never belong to one political party or see eye-to-eye for whatsoever reason. There was Justice Kayode Esho Panel of Inquiry into the government of his predecessor Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili which was daily televised live from the Panel’s Hearing Room.
NYESOM EZENWO WIKE VS CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI
Another set of non-reconciliatory political enmities is that of incumbent Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike and his predecessor Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor and currently serving Minister of Transportation. Whereas Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike was the man who fought the battle of his life that led to the restoration of the political mandate of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in 2007. In 2013 leading 2015 governorship election in Rivers State, the same Nyesom Wike challenged the incumbent Governor then and wrestled the political structure of PDP out of reach of the incumbent Governor Amaechi and took over the commanding structure issuing Orders from Abuja until 6th of December 2014 when he was elected in PDP Gubernatorial Primary election as the party’s standard Flagbearer. Subsequently, Nyesom Wike was voted in as executive Governor of Rivers State in 2015 against the political will of his predecessor, His Excellency Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who had wanted power to shift to Riverine Coastal Community of Rivers Ijaws. Nyesom Wike set up a probe of the administration of his predecessor with Judicial Panel of Inquiry which exposed how the state assets were sold to alleged cronies of his predecessor…even 7-years after into the Nyesom Wike administration Rivers State 2003 purchased Aircraft was uncovered in faraway Germany where it was hidden without official document during Handover. The duo of Wike and Amaechi cannot belong to the same political party and don’t see eye-to-eye in any political arrangement in the state.
SENATOR MAGNUS ABE VS CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI
Inside the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers state chapter, there are two political gladiators who are avowed political enemies. The story of Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who once were political allies who later fell apart on political disagreement occasioned on the fact that the leader of APC in Rivers State Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi used his power to surreptitiously deny Senator Magnus Ngei Abe a slot in APC Rivers State first in 2014 leading to 2015 governorship election that had Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside as flagbearer and in 2019 when the Supreme Court after several litigations ruled that APC in Rivers State cannot participate in the governorship, Senate, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections. Thus, marked the irreconciliatory political feud between the former political allies.
BROTHER FELIX OBUAH VS LATE GODSPOWER AKE
Rivers State politics has been replete with politicians who don’t forgive each other or reconcile with one another over political differences for many years running. The case of Brother Felix Obuah who hails from Omoku and his kinsman Chief Godspower Umejuru Ake then all were members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) until 2012 when suddenly brother Felix Obuah and the then Minister of State For Education now incumbent Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Ezenwo Wike came into the stage of grabbing political power in Rivers State through electoral ballots. And Brother Felix Obuah made himself available as the PDP 2012 State Convention turned violent and inconclusive with brother Felix Obuah claiming victory as well as the then incumbent State Chairman of PDP now late Chief G.U Ake as he was addressed challenging the matter before an Abuja High and Appeal Court later Supreme Court having ruled in favour of Brother Felix Obuah as the authentic State Chairman of PDP. Both never reconciled and never forgave each other until Chief G.U Ake died and was buried.
DAME PATIENCE JONATHAN VS NYESOM WIKE
The former Nigerian First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan and her husband President Goodluck Jonathan could not believe their eyes when after playing very important roles in putting Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike as elected Governor of Rivers State, he quickly turned his back on the first family in Nigeria. It was also rumoured that Governor Wike jettisoned a list of Commissioners nominated by Dame Patience Jonathan for consideration by the Wike administration. Today, Dame Patience Jonathan and husband are far-away from Rivers State Governor Wike so much so that events organized by the Gov. is seen as forbidden for the former number one family in Nigeria because of the non-reconciliatory attitude of Governor Wike.
OTELEMABA DAN AMACHREE VS CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI
It is quite disheartening how the former Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Otelemaba Dan Amachree after sacrificing his political career to save his political ally Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi in the era of President Goodluck Jonathan when he was marked out for impeachment. But Dan Amachree, it was gathered, refused to be bought over. At the end of Amaechi’s second term in office, Otelemaba Dan Amachree was sidelined by Amaechi as he found solace in Senator Magnus Ngei Abe’s faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rivers State chapter which truncated APC Rivers State survival in 2019 elections that never saw party faithfuls participating in elections that year.
TONY OKOCHA VS CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI
This is one of the political enmities not many people will accept because Chief Tony Okocha happened to have been Chief of Staff to former Governor Amaechi while he held sway as Chief Executive of the State from 2012 to 2015. Tony Okocha is comfortably working in the opposite direction against Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, his former Principal. He has shifted his political allegiance to Senator Magnus Ngei Abe as he is Coordinator of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign group in Rivers State.
CHIBUIKE ROTIMI AMAECHI VS ELDER CHIDI WIHIOKA
For over 34-years, Elder Chidi Wihioka and Minister of Transportation Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi have known each other so much that during Amaechi’s tenure as executive Governor of Rivers State, he made Elder Chidi Wihioka Chairman of Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Agency. Elder Chidi Wihioka has been appointed Resident Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission -INEC. He is working in opposite direction with the Minister of Transportation as both are sworn political enemies.
PETER ODILI VS SERGEANT AWUSE
The unending political rivalry between Dr. Peter Odili and Chief Sergeant Chidi Awuse did not start to day. As at 1999 Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship ticket struggle between Dr. Peter Odili and Chief Sergeant Awuse never convinced many political pundits that this duo are no longer fighting each other as Chief Sergeant Awuse lost to Peter Odili and the rest is now history. Presently, Dr, Peter Odili and Chief, Sergeant Awuse do not see eye-to-eye.
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