SpicyTricks

The PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has run into deeper trouble few days to the governorship election. The self-acclaimed leader of the PDP and the Obio/Akpor strong man who has enjoyed a rosy affair with the Presidency through Mrs. Jonathan may have trouble repeating the same feat he achieved during the Presidential and National Assembly elections which was allegedly marred by high profile rigging, intimidation and violence. Wke and his party had secured 1.4million votes for the President while all they also claimed to have one all the seats to the National Assembly. 

But the votes garnered for Jonathan could not ensure a victory for the out-going President from the Niger Delta as General Muhammadu Buhari of the APC eventually won the election.

While Wike had worked for the victory of President Jonathan, Governor Amaechi worked for General Buhari. Before the elections, Wike had an upper hand in the Presidency through Mrs.Jonathan who availed him the support and protection of the. Security agencies. He had moved in long convoys with chains of military men as well as the Police and had a measure of control over Police Commissioner, Dan Bature of the Rivers State Police Command.

The duo of Nyesom Wike and former CP, Joseph Mbu had in the past made governance difficult for Amaechi, so much so, that they had once denied him access to the government house on the flimsy reason that the President's wife was in town. 

From the destruction of APC billboards, killing and arrest of APC memebers on trumped up charges to the forceful takeover of the newly built Adokiye Amasiemaka stadium, Wike and his men had an upper hand.

The PDP leader who had assembled most of the old politicians described as the Rivers cabal had prior the Presidential elections threatened to close all the boarders with a view to arresting Gov. Amaechi after May 29, if Jonathan wins. For Amaechi, his reply to that threat was simply by encouraging Nigerians to vote out Jonathan whom he accused of incompetence and outright hatred for the people of the State. 

At the end of the March 28 elections, Wike lost out of the power play when Jonathan was trumped by Buhari, Amaechi's candidate.

With the new turn of things, and with the APC forming the next government at the centre, all the Service Chiefs including that of the Army and the Police have already pledged their support for the in-coming President. President Jonathan and his wife have already congratulated General Bihari and are busy moving their belongings out of the Presidential Villa and has said he would not contest the outcome of the elections in the interest of peace and unity in the country.

In the wake of the victory of Amaechi and the APC, despite losing the National Assembly seats to the PDP in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature was said to have made a u-turn and pledged his loyalty to the governor. The security details attached to Wike and his men have been drastically reduced even as the armored personnel carrier stationed at his GRA home in Port Harcourt was also withdrawn. 

It was reliably gathered that the CP even refused to take his calls.

Meanwhile, the President's wife who has been Wike's backbone has been silent though sources close to her say she is expected in Port Harcourt on Wednesday to plead with her people to throw their weight behind Wike as that is the only way she would be guaranteed a stay in the state rather than be confined to her husband's village, Otuoke in Bayelsa state. 

In spite of the withdrawal of support by the security agencies and the Presidency, the visibly shaken Wike had on Easter Sunday at a church service begged the people to support him to win. The next day, Monday, at the Mile 3 field in Diobu axis of the state capital, Nyeso Wike gathered his supporters in a rally which the media aide of the State Chairman of APC, Eze Chukwuemeka described as a "Send Off party to exile". At the rally, Wike and other speakers had boasted of their success at the polls in the state and assured party members of a repeat of that victory. 

But information reaching The Beam confirmed that the Prof. Jega's INEC has already changed the list of all the staff alleged to have compromised during the last election based on the reports of the international observers as well as the petition sent by the APC in the state. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Gezila Khan who has been under fire for her alleged compromising role during last satursay's election will not be there to announce the results of the state elections. 

Meanwhile, Wike's points man, one Albert, a close associate of Celestine Omehia is alleged to have again approached some staff of INEC to help him gain access to the sensitive materials for the election. But the APC is said to have stopped him from further access to the Commission. 

Again, Wike no longer enjoys the support of the ex-militants who are now throwing their weight behind the new government of Buhari.

He was said to have invited Ateke Tom to a meeting in Abuja, last week, to reassure the militant leader that he would be protected if the PDP forms the next government in the state. But a source close to Ateke revealed that the ex-war lord is not prepared to support an Ikwerre candidate against an Ijaw candidate, in spite of the loss of Jonathan at the polls. He is said to be in full support of the candidate of the APC, Dakuku Peterside.

The Beam checks also revealed that those who were part of the killing of APC members will soon be invited by the police for a chat as most of the petitions by the APC are now receiving expeditious treatment by the CP.

In all, the APC seems to have finally closed all the loopholes of Wike and his PDP, as the former Minister is now caged.