I won Rivers governorship election despite federal might against me — Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has recalled how he won the 2019 Rivers State governorship election despite what he described as the deployment of federal government influence against his re-election.

Wike spoke on Monday during an interview with TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout, where he reflected on his political experience in Rivers State and preparations for the 2027 elections.

The former Rivers governor said he had faced difficult political contests since beginning his political career in 1999, including the 2015 and 2019 governorship elections.

“In all my elections, it had not been easy,” Wike said, recalling the 2019 election and alleging that former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and other federal actors worked against his re-election.

Wike described the level of federal involvement in the election as unprecedented, alleging that the then-General Officer Commanding (GOC) took steps aimed at preventing him from securing a second term.

“Look, I was running an election where the GOC, the General Officer Commanding, took it upon himself to make sure that I was never returned a second time,” he said.

Despite the political pressure, Wike said he remained confident of victory because of his relationship with the electorate. He said his experience showed that politicians seeking electoral victories must remain connected to the people, listen to them and deliver the dividends of democracy.

Wike won the 2019 Rivers governorship election, defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Tonye Cole, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).