Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has reminded the people of Rivers State that the political and developmental challenges confronting the State today are the direct consequences of the decision taken during the 2015 governorship election to ignore the passionate appeal of then Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who urged Rivers people to reject Nyesom Wike at the polls.
In a statement made available to the media, Eze said Amaechi had warned that the choice before Rivers people in 2015 was between light and darkness, as he presented the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, as a visionary leader with the competence, character, and capacity to sustain the remarkable developmental strides recorded between 2007 and 2015.
“Unfortunately through the influence of powerful political forces at the centre and circumstances that remain part of our political history, Rivers State ended up on a path that has brought over eleven years of stagnation, division, insecurity, institutional decline, and the dismantling of many of the visionary programmes that once made Rivers State a model of development in Nigeria”, he stated,
Eze maintained that history has since vindicated Amaechi’s position, pointing out that Dr. Dakuku Peterside’s outstanding performance as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) clearly demonstrated the quality of leadership Rivers State lost in 2015.
According to him, had Peterside been elected Governor, Rivers State would have consolidated on the developmental foundation laid by the Amaechi administration and emerged as one of Africa’s leading sub-national economies.
Instead, Eze lamented, Rivers State has witnessed years of political instability, abandoned policies, weakened institutions, and avoidable crises that culminated in the unprecedented declaration of a State of Emergency through the alleged acts of Nyesom Wike.
“An unfortunate development that brought national embarrassment to the state”, he stated.
Eze further accused the Wike administration of systematically dismantling several legacy projects and reforms initiated during Amaechi’s tenure, particularly in education, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment, and security.
He argued that rather than building on existing achievements, successive administrations chose the path of political vendetta at the expense of the collective interests of Rivers people.
Speaking on the 2027 governorship election, Eze condemned in strong terms what he described as Wike’s repeated boast of determining who becomes the next Governor of Rivers State.
“No individual, regardless of his political influence, owns Rivers State. The era of political godfatherism must come to an end. Any attempt by anyone to impose a Governor on Rivers people is not only undemocratic but a direct assault on the sovereignty of the electorate. Rivers people must reject such a devilish agenda with every democratic means available to them,” he declared.
The ADC chieftain recalled that since the return to democratic rule in 1999, the governorship of Rivers State has largely remained within the upland axis through the administrations of Dr. Peter Odili, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Chief Nyesom Wike, who together governed the State for twenty-four years.
He therefore described attempts to perpetuate power within the same political circle as unjust, divisive, and contrary to the principles of equity, fairness, and inclusion that have sustained peace in the State.
Eze argued that Rivers State now has a historic opportunity to restore justice and rebuild public confidence through the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which he described as the credible political platform established by patriotic leaders, including Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, to rescue the State from years of political oppression and misrule.
He expressed confidence in the leadership qualities of Dr. Gabriel Pidomson – governorship candidate of the ADC, describing him as intellectually sound, widely exposed, experienced, and adequately prepared to provide purposeful leadership for Rivers State.
He equally praised Dr. Okumgba David Amapaka, whom he described as a hardworking, competent, and dependable leader whose emergence as deputy governorship candidate would further strengthen the capacity of an ADC administration to deliver transparent, inclusive, and people-oriented governance.
He further observed that Dr. Pidomson’s emergence carries profound historical significance because he comes from the Ogoni axis, one of the major ethnic groups in Rivers State that has never produced a Governor, Deputy Governor, Chief Judge, or Speaker of the State House of Assembly.
According to Eze, supporting such a candidacy would not only promote equity but also deepen unity and strengthen the bonds of peaceful coexistence across the State.
He therefore appealed to Rivers people not to repeat what he described as the costly mistake of 2015.
“The people now know better. They have experienced the consequences of placing personal ambition above the collective interest of the State. The 2027 election presents another opportunity to restore hope, rebuild institutions, and return Rivers State to the path of progress”, he stated.
Eze who was the National Publicity Secretary of the defucnt New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) concluded by warning that if Rivers people fail to seize the opportunity to free themselves from what he termed “the politics of darkness and oppression personified in Nyesom Wike,” future generations may hold the present generation responsible for allowing the continued decline of a State that was once admired across Nigeria for visionary leadership, peace, and rapid development.
