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As WIKE’s Fight With FUBARA Takes Ethnic Dimension
Since the creation of Old Rivers State in May 27th 1967 there has been agitation by Ijaws and Ikwerre ethnic communities in the control of the political power of the government of any administration from Military to civilian administrations. Thus, the term upland and riverine lexicons were introduced as a political divide of the citizens living in the riverine coastal areas and those living in the upland dry land of Rivers state. First is that those Ijaw ethnic communities of were the first to welcome the Europeans on trade expeditions in the years pre-colonial administrations of the British. The local tribal chiefs of Riverine Communities entered into several Trade Treaties with the Europeans and majority of the locals took advantage of that in acquiring western education ahead of their hinterland upland brothers who were remotely disconnected with modern European influences and control of the administrations both the pre-colonial and the colonial period.
In the agitations by the minorities in Oil Rivers areas of the then Eastern region, it was the Ijaws who were at the fore-front of such political agitations as reflected in the 1958 pre-Independence Willikins Commission and thus many of the Ijaws were recruited into the civil service of the colonial administrations whereas the upland dwellers were mere farmers and traders in commodities and less influenced by the Europeans.
In 1967 Navy Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff an Ijaw man was appointed as the Military governor of Old Rivers State by General Gowon led Military Government. And this was followed by the large population of Ijaws in the Old Rivers State which now include Bayelsa State indigenes whereas Opobo and Andoni in Eastern Obolo were designated with South Eastern State with capital at Calabar in now Cross River State before they were brought back into Rivers State.
In the second republic in 1979 Chief Melford Okilo an Ijaw man was elected under the platform of National Party of Nigeria NPN while his Deputy was Dr. Frank Eke an Ikwerre ethnic man. The Ogoni, Ikwerre, Ogba, Ndoni, Egbema, Ekpeye, Oyigbo, Etche and Engenni ethnic nationalities are known to be upland people whereas out of the coastal community dwellers are Ijaws including the Abua/Odual people that share common geographical boundary with Ijaws of Bayelsas State. In the botched 3rd Republic where the governorship tussle between Ijaws and Ikwerres became turbulent so much so that the Ijaws with greater population produced Rufus Ada George from Okrika Local Government Area whereas Dr. Peter Odili from Ndoni District a small Fishing and trade port in the Niger River emerged as his deputy. In 1991/1993. By 1999 there has been creation of Bayelsa State then Dr. Peter Odili from Ndoni although a riverine community but taken to be upland by the virtue of the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area designation emerged as Executive Governor with Sir Gabriel Toby from Opobo a coastal riverine community as his Deputy.
With the creation of Bayelsa State by late General Sani Abacha majority of the Izon being the original name of the Ijaws were delineated into the Bayelsa State leaving a minority population of Ijaws in Rivers State with Akuku Toru, Asari Toru, Degema, Okrika, Ogu/Bolo, Bonny Island, Andonni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas making up the Riverine Ijaws with Ibani ethnic group of Bonny and Opobo being distinct in their relationship with Ijaws of larger ethnic group all belong to the Ijaws ethnic group when it comes to political matters. Since the 4th Republic in 1999 to 2023 the upland people have maintained political dominance in Rivers State due to the large population of voters now residing in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area due to large consentration of investment especially, the Oil & Gas companies in the Local Government Area including Shell Petroleum Development Company and others and Ikwerre ethnic group also with about 4 homogenous Local Government Area including Port Harcourt City Council LGA, Ikwerre LGa, Obio/Akpor LGA, Emohua LGA and Etche and Omuma Local Government Area are also part of the Old Ikwerre/Etche Local Government Area before they were split into Etche, Ikwerre and Omuma LGAs. Then Oyigbo is predominantly Igbo speaking but upland, like Eleme, Tai, Khana and Gokana Local Government Areas are all upland communities which during any election circle all align to produce a governor and in the sharing of other political offices now leaving the Rivers Eastern Ijaws in the minority.
For 24 years now, Rivers State upland has produced governors from Dr. Peter Odili, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike all served for 8-solid years as governors. And in 2023 governorship election Siminialayi Fubara an unknown politician but a serving civil servant an Opobo man of Ibani ethnic group belonging to the larger Eastern Ijaws was allegedly selected by Nyesom Wike although there have been speculations that his successor has maternal relationship with the Ikwerres before being married out to Opobo. The Ikwerres and Ijaws in 2023 battled the governorship election with almost all the political parties presenting Ijaws as their preferred governorship candidates with Ogoni man Senator Magnus Abe being the only prominent non Ijaw person who contested under Social Democratic Party-SDP but he came a distant 3rd in the election. Siminialayi Fubara of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was duly elected governor and All Progressive Congress APC Pastor Architect Tonye dele Cole as second in the March 18th 2023 governorship election in Rivers State.
Given the political scenario in 2023 and the failed attempted impeachment of Siminialayi Fubara an Ijaw man as Executive Governor and the rumoured emergence of Rt. Honourable Martins Amaewhule the incumbent Speaker, an Ikwerre ethnic man as Governor, generated much political furore in the political equation of Rivers State. But, Martins Amaewhule is from Obio/Akpor LGA with the largest Voting demographic population in any governorship election in Rivers State thus, the agitation by Ijaws of not being comfortable with the control and political influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT Nyesom Wike in the Government of Siminialayi Fubara.
– Emeka Amaefula
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