Ensure PDP wins Bonny or lose relevance - Wike threatens Bonny politicians

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has threatened to ensure that Bonny Local Government Area loses political relevance if his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fails to win the forthcoming elections in the area.

Wike issued this threat yesterday at Bonny Island when he flagged off the campaign of the PDP in the area.

The Governor arrived via a helicopter a few minutes after 3pm after keeping members and supporters of his party waiting for over six hours under the heavy rains that engulfed the community yesterday.

According to a statement by his Special Assistant on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, WIke “urged Bonny PDP leaders to ensure the victory of the party in all the polling units. He said leaders who lose their units will lose political relevance.”

Prior to the Governor’s arrival for the campaign rally, there were widespread angst against his coming owing to his perceived neglect of the area in terms of projects spread and policy implementation. So far, no project or programme has been implemented or commissioned in Bonny LGA by the Wike led administration in the state.

Aside coming to flag-off the remodeling project of the Bonny National Grammar School (BNGS) in 2016, which he promised would be delivered in six months, Wike had not visited the LGA until yesterday.

Recently, he was said to have allegedly masterminded the denial of the House of Representatives ticket to the lawmaker representing Degema/Bonny federal constituency, Randolph Brown.

He was said to have allegedly preferred the House of Assembly member representing Degema, Farah Dagogo, who reportedly assured him of over 500,000 votes from that axis. Incidentally, Dagogo, in his speech at yesterday’s rally, promised the Governor to deliver 500,000 votes to the PDP.  

Another twist to the tale was the Governor’s purported refusal to pay courtesy call on the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom, His Majesty, King Edward William Dappa Pepple III, Perekule XI yesterday and in 2016 when he was there for the flag-off of the BNGS remodeling project.

Another dimension that gives life to Wike’s threat yesterday was that his administration has witnessed the serial humiliation of Bonny politicians.

A former security chief, Larry Pepple, who served as Chief Security Officer to former Governor Peter Odili, and later handled disarmament, rehabilitation and reintegration in late former President Musa Yar’Adua and later former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administrations’ amnesty programme, was appointed by Wike as the Executive Director of the state Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA). Incidentally, he was starved of funds and his staff not paid for over 14 months forcing him to resign in frustration.

Another was Mrs. Toru Ofili, who had served as Commissioner for Women Affairs under former Governors Odili and Celestine Omehia but was appointed Special Adviser on Sustainable Development by the incumbent Governor, an appointment viewed by many of her kinsmen as a demotion.

Aside these, no chieftain of the party from Bonny has been considered for any serious appointment or contract award as was the case with other LGAs.  

Reacting to the threat by Wike, a chieftain of the PDP in Bonny, confided in Kristina Reports that “it is now clear that the Governor does not have any respect for the people of Bonny LGA. He came into town, and unlike in other LGAs, he refused to visit our King to inform him that he was in his domain.

“As if that was not enough, he came on the podium and was threatening us to deliver him or he would ensure we are no more relevant in the system. Who says that to a people? Bonny contributes about four per cent of Nigeria’s GDP. And you know how much that is”.