In the immediate aftermath of the General Muhamadu
Buhari's resounding victory over President Jonathan, I expect that the people
of the Niger Delta should adjust their political strategy. They should identify
channels to begin to re-engage the Federal Government. They are very lucky to
have Governor Amaechi who played a visible role in the current scheme of
things. Those who go around to paint him as a betrayer miss the point. That
they are unable to discern the speedy realignments that have happened after the
Presidential election is simply amusing. If I were in their shoes, I will
quickly put the past behind me and reach out to governor Amaechi and table the
interest of Rivers people and the Niger Delta.
They have another opportunity to consolidate their position by voting
for the APC gubernatorial candidate Dr. Dakuku Peterside. It is no longer a necessity;
it is in their self-interest to do so.
Anyone one who understands how the Nigerian federation
is structured will say the same thing. Nigeria is a unique federation with a
very strong centre. It is a yet to fully recover from the many years of
centralized military command. Today, many important powers reside exclusively
with the federal government while it shares power on a few residual matters
with the state. What this means is that states that align with the centre
somehow get more benefits and get things done faster. There is enormous
leverage that accrues from the alignment and at the end of the day it is the
people from such states who benefit more. Even with all the economic potentials
and its robust internally generated revenue, Lagos state suffered immensely
during the extended periods that it was not in tandem with the powers in Abuja.
No one needs to look too far to see examples for
Rivers State. We all know what the state
went through during those few months that the President had a minor political
disagreement with the governor of the state. The Bonny LNG project was stalled.
The Soku oil wells were taken away. The renovation of Port Harcourt
International Airport was abandoned. The Rivers side of the East West road was
hindered. Many state projects that needed one form of collaboration or the
other from the federal government got stuck. Rivers people lost so much because
President Jonathan and those around him used the full paraphernalia of the so
called federal might to deny Rivers people what ought to be theirs. Sadly the
economy of the state is not yet as vigorous as that of Lagos State so the
consequences were far more excruciating. With the victory of All Progressives
Congress at the national level, Rivers people have another prospect to recover
all they lost during the highhandedness of the Jonathan administration. No one
who loves Rivers State will think otherwise.
President Jonathan himself knows it and that was why
he had to concede defeat very quickly and congratulate General Buhari. Chief
Tony Anenih knows it and has declared that Buhari will take Nigeria to a
greater height. Chief Edwin Clark knows it and that was why he went an extra
mile to pledge to work with the President elect. Every politician in Rivers
State knows this too. Some politicians in Rivers State reprimanded Mr. Amaechi
when he and his colleagues moved over to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Now that the APC has won, they should just swallow their pride and embrace him.
Even the gubernatorial candidate of the People's Democratic Party in Rivers
State Mr. Nyesom Wike was once a federal minister. He understands the power of
the President. I guess that very few politicians in Rivers State understand how
these powered can be leveraged on better than him. He once took advantage of
it, boasted openly about it and encouraged Rivers people to make sure they
align with the centre. From the much I know about Nigeria, I cannot agree more.
Now that the baton has changed, the former junior minister should be humble
enough to admit that he has misled his supporters. Many other prominent members
of the People's Democratic Party in the state said the same thing repeatedly
about the need to be close to the centre of political action. Two former Deputy
Speakers of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Austin Okpara and Hon.
Chibudom Nwuche all served at the federal level. They understand that Rivers
State cannot afford another eight years in the political Siberia of opposition
politics. Key agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and
Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) are controlled by
Federal Government.
The critical decision time will be on Saturday and the
choice before Rivers people is clear. It
is not a time for political gambling. With Governor Amaechi rooted in the
incoming national government and Dr. Dakuku Peterside as the next governor,
Rivers State will be firmly positioned for prosperity and the people of the
state and the Niger Delta region will be better off for it. Rivers people cannot afford opposition
politics at this time. Voting for APC is my view is their most viable political
option.
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