Rivers State ‘Garage Boy’ campaigning

There are two main reasons why it should come as no surprise if the March 19th State and National Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State are characterized by further tragic loss of lives. Firstly the quite extraordinary verdict of the Supreme Court upholding the governorship elections result. In their wisdom the Honourable Justices asserted that […]

There are two main reasons why it should come as no surprise if the March 19th State and National Assembly re-run elections in Rivers State are characterized by further tragic loss of lives. Firstly the quite extraordinary verdict of the Supreme Court upholding the governorship elections result. In their wisdom the Honourable Justices asserted that massive loss of life, murder, intimidation and non-compliance with guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are no reason for an election to be declared invalid! They sanctioned disorderly voting processes which were made redundant by the use of card readers.
Secondly any blame should be placed squarely at the doorsteps of Governor Nyesom Wike and former Governor now Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, whose unrestrained utterances and inability to hold a civil tongue have inflamed passions beyond reason. Indeed the bloodshed has already commenced with gruesome deaths being already recorded. Both Wike and Amaechi are guilty of using the sort of uncivil, irresponsible, vulgar, and dishonourable language which offends the sensibilities, enrages supporters and instigates all the killing, maiming, and breakdown of law and order which accompany elections in the state.
Only perhaps the increasingly ridiculous ranting of the ever erratic Fani-Kayode can compare to the unabated slanderous insults they have exchanged.  Amaechi says Wike is “a bushman who only knows how to steal” and he is “lying and deceiving the Rivers people”.  Claiming in addition that “Wike is so desperate that he can sell his mother”, Amaechi says “if you see the money stolen by Nyesom Wike in the Ministry of Education you will be shocked”. Not to be outdone in the use of foul inflammatory language, Wike says that Amaechi is “monstrously corrupt”, suffering from a “psychiatric disorder”, and lacks “sound parental upbringing”.
One could be mistaken for assuming that the two of them have been life-long enemies, but this is far from true. In the beginning they were together. They became political allies under the Dr Peter Odili administration when Wike served as Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA while Amaechi was elected into the State House of Assembly eventually becoming Speaker for eight years.
In 2007 Amaechi contested governorship elections and against all the machinations of then president Obasanjo, clinched victory in court after a prolonged legal battle. As reward for this loyalty Wike who was in the forefront of his supports at that point in time was appointed Chief of Staff to Amaechi as governor. However in politics, as the saying goes, there are neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies, only permanent interests. According to Amaechi their interests varied when Wike as his Chief of Staff Wike said they should be sharing money and he refused. Puzzlingly though Amaechi says he still gave Wike contracts to do roads and renovate schools but the jobs were not executed, and the money was “stolen”.
Not to be outdone, Wike says Amaechi looted government house, left no hand over notes, and his appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is an endorsement of corruption. Furthermore he says Amaechi’s is “the most corrupt government official who must not be allowed to flaunt the fruits of his crime with impunity” and his claim to have left N11 billion in the State Treasury was a “tissue of lies”.
Political allies since 1998 Amaechi and Wike are now sworn enemies to the detriment of the estate, and the meddlesome Patience Jonathan should take a large part of the responsibility for fuelling the crisis.  These exchanges of insults are not in the best interests of Rivers people, and only serve personal ambitions. Quite irresponsibly Amaechi said “On the day of the re-run I am ready for Wike, they should come out with their guns, we are ready for them”. He says he wants to see “how Wike will shoot all of us”.
Challenging your opponent to come out with guns when you yourself are fully protected and will not be on the frontline is reprehensible and the President Buhari should call his minister to order immediately. However there is no denying the fact that the routine murder of political actors in his Rivers State is irrefutable evidence that Governor Wike is either incapable or unwilling to carry out his primary responsibility of guaranteeing security of lives and property, especially those of his opponents. 
Despite their best efforts the security forces cannot secure lives and property, establish law and order, and bring about a calm environment devoid of tension, if political leaders cannot restrain themselves in the use of inflammatory and abusive language.  The conduct of Wike and Amaechi proves that it is the elites who instigate political violence. They must learn to develop manifestos and programs to convince the electorate to vote for them through reasoned discourse, rather than continue to engage in “garage boy” campaigning.