Richard Elesho.
Nigerian politics can be likened to a ‘no holds barred wrestling’. In that usually wild grapple, a fighter can pursue his opponent to deliver more stings, even outside the ring.
For a season last week, political tourism, upstaged medical tourism as a new fancy in the country’s lexicology. Several Nigerian politicians travelled to Europe in continuation of their permutations towards the 2023 Presidential election.
The primary aim of the trips was to woo aggrieved Rivers State Governor, Nyeson Wike who has metamorphosed to a beautiful bride with many suitors. He caught the often miserable image of a hen, pandering from lubidinous cocks, who are in hot chase to fulfil naked sexual urge.
Wike, an embittered frontline PDP member, was the poster child of Nigerian power struggle. In a jammed timeline of about 72 hours, the Governor and his team were either the hosts or guests in at least three major deliberations. Aside former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the group met with principalities from the All Progressives Congress, APC, Labour Party, LP and People’s Democratic Patty, PDP. All the meetings made headlines, with appropriate pictorials for illustrations.
The Rivers Governor, a top member of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA left the country as the association was preparing for its annual Congress. Top politicians across party lines including PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, LP’s Peter Obi and the awkwardly dressed APC Vice Presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima graced the opening session of the Congress in Lagos on Monday, 21 August.
Shettima’s sartorial breach and inelegance to the meeting stopped being talk of town, by a master stroke pictures of his boss, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC Presidential candidate in meeting with Wike and his team, in far away Europe. The meeting, described as horse trading on the 2023 poll, took place in London the same Monday.
The Wike team comprised three fellow serving PDP Governors, Samuel Ortom of Benue, Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia and Seyi Makinde of Oyo states. Former Governor Donald Duke of Cross River was also on ground. Among people on Tinubu’s side were Governors Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti states. An insider said the parley was on ‘strategic alliance’ on the Presidential poll.
The Tinubu – Wike meeting has been in the pipeline for sometime. In fact, on 1 July, both men had course to deny widespread reports of an assumed meeting between them in France. Tunde Rahman of Tinubu’s Campaign Office in a statement then, described the reports as “fake news.” He added however that “the APC presidential candidate holds Governor Wike in high esteem.”
In spite of the denial, on 8 July some Governors and chieftains of the ruling party paid their way to Portharcourt for tete a tete with the strong man of opposition politics. Three APC governors, Fayemi, Sanwo-Olu and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State were joined by former PDP Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose on a visit to Wike at his Rumueprikon country home in Port Harcourt. Those early efforts laid the foundation for last week’s London meeting.
Wike’s open romance with the ruling party must have been a source of both mental and emotional torment, for Atiku and his party. Pronto, anxious for reconciliation, the PDP candidate hoooed on the next available flight to London. He was destined for more surprises.
On Thursday Wike and his allies, succumbed to another meeting, this time with LP. Former President Obasanjo, Peter Obi, LP Presidential candidate and other stakeholders joined in the meeting. Several reports indicated that their deliberation centred on the fast approaching general elections.
The unexpected appearance of Obasanjo in the pictures raised eyebrows. It would be recalled that the former President had quitted partisan politics many years ago, when he tore his membership card of the PDP. Also, few days before the London trip, he had played host to Tinubu in his, Presidential Library, Abeokuta. He claimed to have had brotherly discussions with the APC candidate at the meeting.
Later in the evening of Thursday, the Rivers Governor and his group met with Atiku. Details of their deliberations were as usual not made public. But the two sides were all smiles when they posed for photographs after their discussions.
The Wike gang must be enjoying their game and the accompanying suspense. He and his colleagues returned to Nigeria on Friday with a sense of accomplishment. But they did not reveal much on their new tendencies, except that their gyrations were in the public interest.
“What we are talking about is for the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians. It is not a parochial thing – being centred on a person or group of persons,” Wike said at the VIP Lounge of the Port Harcourt International Airport on arrival.
“We believe that what is going on will be in the interest of Nigerians at the end of the day. Consultation is still ongoing. Nothing we have said now has been concretised. Discussions are going on,” he said.
He berated some leaders who he accused of planning to turn political offices into a family business. “Leadership is not about you and your family. Leadership is about everybody. Somebody finishes eight years as governor, he brings his own son to be governor, brings his son to go to National Assembly? When we are talking about poverty everywhere? These are people who do not mean well for Nigeria.”
“No amount of insults, blackmail can deter us from doing the right thing. So, we are poised for it and there will be no going back,” Wike maintained.
Wike became disenchanted with his party when he narrowly lost the Presidential ticket to Atiku and the way they bypassed him in picking the Vice Presidential candidate. The Rivers Governor came second in the Primary and was number one on the list of three nominees recommended as possible Running Mates by a committee. The candidate opted for the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Efforts to mend the fences have been unsuccessful, thus far. Wike was reported to have listed his conditions for peace including resignation of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as party Chairman and an academic agreement that Atiku will not seek second term as President. Both parties are on the negotiation table on the issues.
Will they find peace? Only time can tell. For now Wike and his crew seem to enjoy all the attention on a free bumper ride!