The race to succeed Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State would be defined by many factors. One notable factor would be zoning
AS preparations for the 2015 elections gather momentum, all eyes in Rivers State will be on the race to the Brick House, the Rivers State Government House. The political game-plan in the state seems to have taken a new dimension with the defection of Governor Rotimi Amaechi from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) coupled with the strong agitation by various ethnic diversities in the state to occupy the number one seat.
Rivers is seen by many political analysts as a state where no particular ethnic bloc has an overwhelming dominance and the zoning culture cannot be left out in order to accommodate the various ethnic groups.
However, the question on the lips of many today is which of the blocs should produce the next Governor of Rivers State come 2015 after Governor Amaechi must have completed his second term in office.
The state is geographically divided into two: Upland and Riverine. The upland consists of the Ikwerres, Ogonis, Ekpeyes, Ogbas, Ndonis and others, while the riverine people are the Kalabaris, Andonis, Opobos, Ibanis, Abuans, Oduals, Nkoros and several others.
Governor Amaechi, who is Ikwerre has openly come out to associate with the agitation for the governorship to go to the Riverirne divide after 16 straight years in the upland.
The Riverine people believe strongly that in the spirit of sportsmanship and fairness, they should be allowed to produce the governor in 2015.
Upland/Riverine power sharing
Since the creation of old Rivers state in 1967 and the new Rivers in 1996, the Upland seems to have had upper hand in running the affairs of the state and this seems not to augur well with the Riverine who are now determined to do everything humanly possible to ensure the pendulum swings their way in 2015. The Riverine argue that after Upland produced Dr Peter Odili and incumbent, Rotimi Amaechi, it will only be fair for the Riverine area to have a shot.
The Ijaws/Riverine
The Ijaws seem to be having a strong voice in their quest to occupy the Brick House come 2015. Their agitation is built on the fact that their Upland brothers have ruled the state for16 years and they should also be given the opportunity to govern the state.
According to Opunabo Inko Tariah, a journalist-turned politician and Charles Harry, an Ijaw activist, the politics of Rivers has been largely between the Upland and Riverine areas.
According to them, “The Upland, as presently constituted can be found in 14 or 15 Local Government Areas while the Ijaws/Riverine are in 10 LGAs including Port Harcourt, Abua-Odual, Akukutoru, Asaritoru, Degema, Bonny, Andoni, Okrika, Ogu-Bolo and Opobo-Nkoro, which have strong history of voting in one direction.
They further maintained that various Ijaw leaders from five other Niger/Delta states including Chief Edwin Clark, who has positioned himself as the conscience of Ijaw struggle have thrown their weight behind the move by Ijaws in Rivers State.
The belief that it is the turn of the Riverine people, and by extension, the Ijaws in Rivers State to produce the next governor has led to the emergence of several governorship aspirants from the area . Though some of the aspirants are considered serious and others pretenders, it is a matter of time before the real candidates will emerge. To continue reading this article, please click on the ALLAFRICA link below.
Source: AllAfrica