Wike’s second term endorsement divides Rivers’ former legislators

Former Legislators in Rivers State House of Assembly have disagreed over the endorsement of the State Governor, Nyesom Wike, for a second term in office.

While some expressed support for the endorsement, others especially the All Progressive Congress (APC) ex-lawmakers loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, sharply disagreed with the position.

The former Deputy speaker in the Seventh Assembly, Leyii Kwanee, who expressed shock over the endorsement credited to the Forum of Former Lawmakers, stated that no member in the Assembly appended his signature on the said document, querying the endorsement claim by the forum.

Kwanee said, “It was not proper to be talking about endorsement in the state now when the issue of soot is on the people, killing on daily basis.

“On Sunday, I observed in some national dailies that a group called the Forum of Former Lawmakers, has endorsed His Excellency, Governor of Rivers State, for a second tenure.

I don’t have any issue with such endorsement, but I want to put the record straight that there is no such Forum of Former Lawmakers being pioneered by the distinguished Senator Dawari Pepple.

“The only forum that is known to me is the Forum of Former Rivers State Lawmakers headed by Rt. Hon. Steven Ezekwe. For purposes of record, on Friday, we were at the Rivers State House of Assembly to honour our late colleague, Hon. Anderson Miller, at a valedictory session.

“A former member of the House, Hon. John Bazia, approached me with a document seeking for my signature; and I asked what it was all about. I later went through the content and I realised that he was seeking my signature in order to endorse the governor for a second tenure.

“I was shocked by such conduct because that session was supposed to be a solemn session; that session was supposed to remind us that one day, we shall also lie in state like our late colleague. Shortly after I turned down the request, I realised that half of the lawmakers that were in the chamber disappeared. On further enquiry, I was told that they moved over to Government House.

“I have so much respect for the governor of Rivers State. But to the best of my knowledge, none of us in the Seventh Assembly appended our signatures in that document and we are not part of any endorsement.”

It would be recalled that during a solidarity visit by some ex-lawmakers to Wike on Friday, Senator Pepple announced that the forum has passed a vote of confidence on the Rivers State Governor. He said the forum is convinced by the governor’s excellent performance that he should continue to lead the state beyond 2019.