There is a growing discussion around Rivers State politics after the stepping down of Governor Sim Fubara and the emergence of Hon. Ok Chinda as the candidate of the APC in Rivers State.
A lot of people have condemned his candidacy because of where he comes from, the Ikwerre tribe.
Some have said power should rotate to other tribes since Rivers State is a multi-ethnic state with over 10 different ethnic groups or tribes, as the case may be.
Some Ijaw leaders have also said that the Ikwerre ethnic group has already produced three governors from the same extraction, and bringing another Ikwerre man after an Ijaw son has not completed his 8-year tenure is a slap on the entire Rivers people and the Ijaw people at large.
As for me, I have never been tribalistic when choosing a leader. Anyone can come from anywhere to lead if the person is a good leader and has the capacity to lead.
Leadership comes with so much sacrifice, and one has to be disciplined to lead a state like Rivers State.
A lot of people are complaining about another Ikwerre man, but that is not the main problem.
The discussion should be: why should Wike bring another one of his puppets? Going by what Rivers people have suffered under Governor Sim for the last three years or more.
Because of the fight between Wike and Sim, Rivers people have lost so much. The state has been struggling with development, and godfatherism has done more harm to Rivers State than good.
The Wike and Governor Sim fight has impacted the state negatively. A lot has happened, yet we are busy talking about why another Ikwerre man should return.
That should not be the issue. Most times, they use religion and tribe to divide us from being united. They know that if we are united, we can beat them at their own game.
Our issue in Rivers State is not about tribe but about godfatherism. Every true Rivers man and woman should reject Wike and his new puppet. Stop focusing on whether an Ikwerre man should become governor again or not, because that will only divide us further against the fight against godfatherism.
There is no guarantee that if Ok Chinda eventually emerges as the governor of Rivers State, he will not have issues with Governor Wike again. No politician in Nigeria, with the kind of powers they have, will continue bowing to a godfather forever, especially in Rivers State.
The Wike and Ok Chinda alliance is another time bomb waiting to explode.
But we Rivers people can say no to godfatherism by voting against Wike and his new stooge.
The reason why Abia State is flourishing today is because they rejected godfatherism and came out to choose who they truly wanted.
No state with a godfather like Wike can truly succeed.
Anyone who supports the candidacy of Ok Chinda and the Wike collaboration will, in no time, reap the rewards of bad governance.
A bad government will affect your tribe too, even if the governor comes from your tribe.
Choose competence over tribalistic leadership.
My name is Kalada Daminabo Ogolo. I am a radical political analyst
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