2023 polls: what has Nyesom Wike gained?
The 2023 polls have come with a lot of intrigues. The elections wouldn’t just go without highlighting some facts in it. The People’s Democratic Party has lost the south-south Rivers State for the very first time ever.
The oil rich state has often been a walkover for the PDP irrespective of the candidate it presents. However, the 2023 polls have opened the door for opposition parties to not only gain ground, but to also win.
The All Progressives Congress, which normally flops in Rivers State won with a good margin. Bola Tinubu polled 231,591 votes. It’s surprising that Rivers State would be among the 12 states to help Bola Tinubu in the 2023 polls.
The PDP and its presidential candidate scored 88,469 votes to even queue behind the Labour Party candidate Peter Obi, who had 175,071 votes. Atiku came distant third in the state.
Tinubu’s victory in that state isn’t accidental or coincidental. It’s an effort that Nyesom Wike of the PDP put in place to foil Atiku’s bid. The Rivers State governor worked tirelessly to ensure that the ex vice president didn’t win the poll.
Both Wike and Atiku have been at loggerheads since the buildup to the 2023 polls. The Rivers State governor argued vehemently that the party’s ticket shouldn’t go to northern candidate again.
He contested for the ticket and lost it to Atiku Abubakar. Since that time till the 2023 polls, there has been no peace in the PDP. And Nyesom Wike expressly said that he would do all he could to foil Atiku’s bid.
Nyesom Wike has achieved his aim. But is that all? What has he gained? Can we conclude that Atiku’s loss in the 2023 polls is the ultimate goal of the Rivers State governor? Of course, the governor’s political future may hang in limbo.
The Rivers State governor said in a viral video that his people should vote for whomever he told them. He said failure to do that would put his life at an arm’s length. Now that Atiku has lost, is that his gain?
Mr. Wike didn’t throw his hat into the ring for the House of Senate. He didn’t join the list of other outgoing governors who often choose the upper chamber as their “home for retirement”.
Will Wike expect a ministerial slot from Bola Tinubu when the later takes over from Buhari? The 2023 polls are already passing gradually. It’s now time for a critical assessment. And that includes what Wike has gained.
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