Wike Cannot Be Governor–Asari Dokubo Warns Patience Jonathan

Former leader of a Niger Delta militant group, Mujahedeen Asari Dokubo, has dared Nigeria’s First Lady, Patience Jonathan, over her support for the Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, on his ambition to become the next governor of Rivers State in 2015, when the tenure of the incumbent, Rotimi Amaechi, would have expired.

Dokubo warned the First Lady that any attempt by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to make Wike its flagbearer in the 2015 gubernatorial election in the state would amount to injustice on the other two tribes in Rivers State. He said this in an interview with Leadership newspaper on Thursday.

“To make Wike a governor in Rivers State in 2015 is not morally right. All the fellows endorsing him for whatever reason should know that it will injure PDP, it will injure Goodluck Jonathan. If Goodluck’s name is brought into it, that he is in support of the perpetuation of an Ikwerre hegemony in Rivers State, which is not right by population, which is not right under any calculation, it will injure him and PDP,” the vocal Niger Delta leader observed.

Explaining further, Dokubo revealed that, “as far as we all know, there are three ethnic clusters in Rivers State: the Ijaws, the Igbos (Ikwerre is part of the Igbo cluster) and the Ogonis. After Bayelsa was excised from Rivers State, the Igbos have ruled for many years. Odili was an Idoni Igbo; he ruled for eight years. Omehia/Amaechi, who are also Ikwerres, by 2015 would have ruled for more than eight years, making over 16 years.

“Having said that, the next cluster are the Ijaws, made up of the Kalabaris, the Obolo and Ibani people, the Wakrike; Okirika is just one town in Wakrike, Ukoro and others. These people have produced a governor. In terms of local government spread, they are in 11 local government areas out of the 23 local government areas; the Igbos are spread in eight and the Ogonis in four local government areas.

“In terms of population, when you remove the cosmopolitan population of Port Harcourt and Obiakpor, which is about 80 per cent of the population, is non-indigenous of those local governments. That is old non-Rivers indigenes and Rivers indigenes, who are not indigenes of Port Harcourt and Obiakpor local governments. If you remove those populations, the Ijaws are the majority as a single block.

“When you look at that, for somebody to say another Ikwerre man should become governor is wrong. Yes, constitutionally, he has a right to aspire, everybody is free to aspire, but it is not moral, it is not right. Something can be legally right but it might not be morally right.

“So, if we are saying there should be justice in Rivers State… if we are crying against domination by others, we should not also oppress other people. The people that morally should be allowed to produce the next governor of Rivers State is the Ogoni cluster made up of the Ogonis proper and the Eleme people.”

Meanwhile, the Ijaw leader has expressed optimism that the matter would be resolved amicably by the parties involved in the issue.

Patience Jonathan had stated on Tuesday in a press release that she is not rooting for another candidate to become the governor of Rivers State as being speculated. He maintained that her support is for Wike.

In the statement signed by her media aide, Ayo Adewuyi, the First Lady said, “in the case of Rivers State, the First Lady wishes to state categorically that the Supervising Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, is the leader of PDP in Rivers State and he enjoys the followership of the people of the State. The First Lady is solidly behind Chief Wike.

“The people of Rivers State are also solidly behind Chief Wike and are prepared to follow him. It is therefore mischievous to insinuate that Mrs Jonathan is working to ensure that the governorship candidate comes from one of the riverine areas of Rivers State which may not be where the people are going.

“It is also imperative to state that the First Lady is always with the people and will continue to go with the wish and expectations of the people. Mrs Jonathan has not withdrawn her support for Chief Wike at any time and will always work for the interest and the good of Rivers people. As far as the First Lady is concerned, there is NO SHAKING in Rivers State.”