By Capt. Bish Johnson (U.S. Army, Retired)
In the preceding episode, we established the foundational elements of this intricate discourse, which now unfolds further in Episode 2.
The political turmoil engulfing Rivers State is inextricably linked to the broader disintegration of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level. This assertion was vindicated by the recent suspension of acting National Chairman Umar Damagun and National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu by a faction led by National Legal Adviser Adeyemi Ajibade.
This was swiftly countered by the Damagun-led faction’s suspension of Ajibade and National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba. These internecine squabbles erupted in the wake of the Court of Appeal’s ruling on the 2024 Rivers State Fiscal Budget, underscoring the inseparable connection between Rivers State’s political crisis and the wider collapse of the PDP’s internal governance.
In our previous exploration, three figures loomed large: Nyesom Wike, Ayodele Fayose, and Ahmed Makarfi—stalwarts who, when the PDP teetered on the brink of extinction, stood resolute and prevented its annihilation.
However, Nyesom Wike emerges as the most pivotal actor, his extraordinary efforts in salvaging the shattered remnants of the PDP in Rivers State forming the crux of the ongoing political storm.
During his tenure as Minister of State for Education under President Goodluck Jonathan, Wike harbored aspirations to govern Rivers State.
Understanding that a revitalized PDP would be the only viable conduit to realizing his ambition, Wike embarked on a formidable campaign to resuscitate the party within the state—a template he would later replicate on a national scale.
His influence extended even to states where the PDP’s grip had weakened, cementing his stature as a dominant figure within the party.
The PDP in Rivers State was left fractured and impotent following the defection of then-Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who, along with five other governors, abandoned the PDP for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Amaechi’s exodus, accompanied by key members of his administration and a significant portion of the state legislature, left the PDP decimated, bereft of resources, and on the brink of collapse.
Wike, resigning from his ministerial post, returned to Rivers State and launched the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI). At a time when many political heavyweights had either defected or retired, Wike took command of the remnants, restructuring the party and reigniting its political momentum.
With strategic backing from former First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan and a measure of fortuitous timing, Wike engineered the PDP’s resurgence, successfully wresting control from Amaechi and restoring the party’s dominance in Rivers State.
On the national stage, Wike’s influence remained unassailable. Having secured the PDP’s victory at the Supreme Court—a triumph to which he made vital contributions—Wike consolidated his authority within the party. His backing of Uche Secondus for the role of National Chairman, a position Secondus won with Wike’s overwhelming support, exemplifies Wike’s near-total control over the PDP’s internal apparatus.
Throughout his governorship, Wike maintained a stranglehold on Rivers State’s political machinery, ensuring that all elective offices—both state and federal—remained firmly under PDP control.
Through shrewd political maneuvering, he positioned loyalists in key roles not just within Rivers, but across states where the PDP lacked governors, fortifying his long-term influence.
Wike’s ambitions did not end with his immediate successes; he meticulously built what he termed a “Political Structure,” designed to serve as leverage in future negotiations. On several occasions, he boasted to fellow PDP leaders, challenging them to deliver electoral victories in their respective states while he guaranteed Rivers State for the PDP.
This grandstanding, fueled by an insatiable appetite for dominance, is at the very heart of the political maelstrom that now engulfs Rivers State.
On August 12, 2017, the PDP convened a non-elective Special National Convention in Abuja, during which significant amendments were made to the party’s constitution, including the extension of the Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee’s tenure.
The party, hopeful of reasserting itself as a formidable alternative to the ruling APC, looked to the 2019 general elections with optimism—only to have those hopes dashed yet again by another crushing defeat.
The elective national convention of December 9, 2017, saw approximately 3,000 delegates converge at Eagle Square, Abuja, to elect new party leadership. Uche Secondus, buoyed by Wike’s formidable backing, emerged victorious, defeating candidates supported by other party heavyweights.
Even Atiku Abubakar, who had rejoined the PDP after a stint with the APC, failed to counter Wike’s overwhelming dominance.
Before the Makarfi-led Caretaker Committee handed over power, it instituted an 88-member Zoning Committee chaired by then-Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State as part of its commitment to reorganize and reposition the party for the future.
The zoning committee in its report which was later ratified and approved by the party recommended the zoning to the South the following positions -, the chairman, deputy national chairman 1, national treasurer, national legal adviser, national youth leader, national organizing secretary, deputy national publicity secretary, deputy national woman leader, deputy national auditor and deputy national financial secretary.
Consequently, the offices of the deputy national chairman 2, national secretary, national financial secretary, national publicity secretary, national auditor, national woman leader, deputy national treasurer, deputy national organizing secretary, deputy national youth leader, deputy national legal adviser and deputy national secretary were zoned to the North.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) had earlier ratified the zoning of the party’s 2019 presidential ticket to the North which was approved by the National Convention of the party held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on May 21, 2016. Umahi explained that in arriving at the zoning arrangement, the committee considered earlier zoning formula in the party since its inception to date, and equally examined previous happenings in the party in respect of restrictions to equal participation of members.
Consequently, it desired a paradigm shift from the unsatisfactory practices within the party operations and that all positions should be keenly contested for among the major zones they are zoned to in order to open the space and allow for full participation of members.
He further stated that the chairmanship of the party was zoned to the southern zones bearing in mind that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 had already been zoned to the northern zones.
He said the committee also made provisions for two positions of Deputy National Chairman which would be shared between the North and South. According to him, the zoning committee also recommended that the party amends its constitution to make a provision for the six National Vice Chairmen to henceforth be included as members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
The committee recommended that key positions such as the National Chairmanship be zoned to the South, while positions like Deputy National Chairman 2 and National Secretary were zoned to the North.
This zoning arrangement reflected a commitment by the party to balance and inclusivity within the PDP’s structure.
This very framework also became a lightning rod for future conflicts, particularly during the 2023 presidential primaries in which the PDP blatantly ignored its own traditional zoning arrangements, which gave rise to the G-5 governors and Nyesom Wike’s resonant mantra in Igbo, “Enye Ndi Ebia, Enye Ndi Ebia” (You give to this people, you give to that people).
Join us in Episode 3 as we delve deeper into the historical roots of the political upheaval in Rivers State and contemplate potential pathways to resolution.
About the Author
Bishop C. Johnson is a retired U.S. Army Captain, social commentator, political analyst, activist, and public speaker. Specializing in national defense and military strategy, he resides in the rural agrarian community of Egbema, Imo State, where he continues to scrutinize Nigeria’s political landscape. You can reach him at b.chuck.johnson@gmail.com.
