2027: Is Rivers State A Personal Estate Of Nyesom Wike?

All through the yuletide, there had been a scathing noise of political subterfuge in Rivers State. While political leaders across 35 States of Nigeria including Abuja used the season to felicitate with their constituents and followers as well as engage in quality conversations, sharing love and care, the case was completely different in Rivers State.

In Rivers, even though, the 2027 electioneering circle is yet to be authorized by the electoral body according to the law, the noise of campaigns have resonated across the State beyond mere thank you that it was pretentiously meant for. And perhaps like the African adage that when a handshake passes the elbow it becomes an arrest.

From Ikwerre through Emohua down to the Ogonis to the Orashi/Ekpeye region as well as the Kalabari areas, what ought to have been a mere yuletide visitation turned a platform for self adulations and outpouring of tirades and vituperations against a sitting governor by Chief Nyesom Wike, Minister of the FCT and his gangsters.

Nigerians at home and the diaspora have tried to ask what truly triggered this round of perceived conflict after a manipulated emergency rule, but no feasible answer to the current brouhaha, except a concocted “agreement” that Rivers people are not part of.

However, with the fierce authority of Chief Wike in attacking everyone in sight that has given Gov. Siminalayi Fubara support to seek a second term in office, it appears clearly that he is finally up in war to contend with everything in favour of Gov. Fubara including Mr. President who has already adopted Fubara as a son.

The temerity and audacity of his opposition leaves one with a fundamental question. Has Rivers State suddenly become a personal estate of Nyesom Wike? The way and manner he bestrides the entire space dancing under the influence of alcoholic substances to insult the sensibilities of all Rivers people declaring who or not to get a gubernatorial ticket amazes all reasonable citizens of this nation.

Many have also observed that he is definitely dancing to the beats of desperation and his total fall is near. And this stemmed from the political optics that played out from the early part of December 2025.

While he was still playing god and demeaning everyone in sight, Gov. Fubara moved Nicodemusly and defected to the All Progressive Congress (APC) without his knowledge or usual permission.

Wike was yet to recover from that shock, then, Fubara was quickly registered into the Party in the presence of Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Chief Festus Keyamo, SAN and subsequently integrated into the system. Keyamo in that epochal event metaphorically noted, “we set a trap to catch frogs, but we caught an elephant”.

Things moved at an unprecedented speed such that within two weeks, Fubara has already attended both NEC and NWC meeting of the party with full authority to run the Rivers State affairs as the leader and 001. The shock wave left Wike gasping and couldn’t fathom what just happened. Gov. Fubara further appointment as a member of the APC Reconciliation Committee jotted him the more.

Some analysts have averred that Wike’s jamboree across the State with uncouth statements is a reflection of self denial of the reality of the thunder bolt that has hit his political ambition of holding onto Fubara, who suddenly escaped from political slavery. He has seen the total liberation of Fubara from his servitude and it appears clearly that there is the possibility of President Bola Tinubu giving full support to Gov. Fubara’s second term bid under his political family. That is Wike’s fear and anger at the same time.

Another frustration of Wike is that his ambition of building a political empire where Rivers State becomes his personal estate has suddenly crumbled. In fact, the same Rivers State which the President assisted him to occupy with Impunity for the past two years has been pulled off his hands by just one decision of Gov. Fubara completely being in bed with Mr. President. He now goes to Mr. President without Wike serving as a compass or a teleguide. And of course, all the lies told about him in the past have been exposed.

Imagine, relying on a concocted security report from the office of the National Security Adviser to declare a state of emergency. Now the same National Security Adviser has declared before the world that Rivers State under Gov. Fubara is one of the safest States in Nigeria and Mr. President is happy with him. And of course, our Chichi Dodo Minister, the only “Intigrity” man, is infuriated and has turned against the National Security Adviser accusing him of coming to “collect”.

Is Wike also insinuating that the National Security Adviser collected from him to produce a phantom security report for the declaration of emergency in Rivers State? Apparently, the world knows that Wike often speaks before reasoning and most times he double speaks. A character of an irresponsible man without integrity and decorum.

Today, Nigerians are truly wondering which political party that he belongs to, because the last time they knew he had been expelled by the PDP that he worked assiduously to destroy. And he is not a member of the APC, so cannot interfere or deliberate on a matter that concerns the APC. So, if the APC decides to cede its ticket to Gov. Fubara as its candidate in Rivers State in 2027, who is Wike to stop it.

There had been governors in Rivers State before Chief Nyesom Wike and none has exerted too much authority or caused cantankerous political disharmony much as Wike is doing to Rivers State today. None also sought to annex Rivers State as personal property or empire.

His reign as governor in Rivers State introduced a lot of bad blood to the system including ruling like Idi Amin besides the violence witnessed prior to his ascension both in 2015 and 2019. These are commentaries that many families in Rivers State would not want to ever remember. Perhaps, he feels the State would want to return to such a wasteful era, by always resorting to threat and intimidation. But he would be shocked the more, because the glory has departed from him.

It is obvious that Wike dwells so much on blackmail and insults as his style of politics. But the dynamics of politics in Nigeria of today, have taken further steps to raising people’s curiosity and awareness. So, all his past shenanigans would definitely combine to undo him in the coming days and this sentiment he is trying to wipe up in his bid to keep holding Rivers State hostage is a route that has been traveled before and it will collapse on the command of the new Sheriff in town with uncommon organic support, because Wike has a horrible history.

Kenneth A. Leesor
A Port Harcourt based public affairs analyst