…Says Amaechi has positioned ADC for rescue
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party, nPDP, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has urged the people of Rivers State not to repeat what he described as the “mistake” they made in the 2015 governorship election, insisting that the decision paved the way for over a decade of political and developmental setbacks in the state.
Eze, in a statement, said former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, had warned ahead of the 2015 election that electing Nyesom Wike would plunge the state into “darkness,” while presenting the then APC governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, as the better alternative.
According to him, events over the past 11 years have vindicated Amaechi’s position, arguing that Rivers State has witnessed political instability, institutional decline, insecurity and abandoned policies since 2015.
He maintained that Peterside’s performance as Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, demonstrated the quality of leadership the state lost by not electing him governor.
Eze also accused successive administrations in the state of dismantling projects and reforms initiated during the Amaechi administration, particularly in the areas of education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment and security.
The ADC chieftain further criticised what he described as repeated claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, that he would determine who succeeds as Rivers governor in 2027.
“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,” Eze said.
READ ALSO: Fugitive drug baron, Chinedu bags 22 years jail term
He argued that after more than two decades of governorship by leaders from the state’s upland axis, Rivers now has an opportunity to promote equity and inclusion through the emergence of candidates from other parts of the state.
Eze said the ADC had become the platform through which Amaechi and other political leaders intend to “rescue” Rivers State from what he termed years of political decline.
He expressed confidence in the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Gabriel Pidomson, describing him as competent and prepared to provide purposeful leadership, while commending the deputy governorship candidate, Dr. Okumgba Amapaka, for his experience and commitment.
According to him, Pidomson’s emergence is historically significant because he is from the Ogoni ethnic group, which, he claimed, has never produced a governor, deputy governor, chief judge or speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
Eze appealed to Rivers voters to support the ADC in the 2027 governorship election, saying it offered an opportunity to restore hope, rebuild institutions and return the state to the path of development.
He warned that failure to reject what he described as “the politics of darkness and oppression” could prolong the state’s political and developmental challenges.
The statements reflect Eze’s views and have not been independently verified. Wike has yet to publicly respond to the allegations contained in the statement.
