A Possible Senate Seat: Why Etche Is Applauding Governor Wike
Opinion By Dr. Acho Nwokogba
People may not know this: An Etche person has never been to the Senate.
This statement may surprise many people since Etche has always been a very integral, participating and vibrant political entity in Rivers State politics. Continue Reading
This absence from the Senate, though due to varied, complicated reasons and excuses, must include an explanation in the historical context of an evolving Nigerian state. Thus, why this situation has arisen may not lie in any one specific reason, an explanation can be found in a series of accumulated incidences in Nigeria starting with her independence in 1960 when it consisted of only three geo-political, very large regions of the East, North and West. From here, Nigeria then became a Republic in 1963 with an additional Midwest region carved out from the West. This was the First Republic, a parliamentary system with Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, President.
The incidences referred to here were not in the least disassociated with the teething problems of nation-building that included quite a few and important military disruptions and a civil war that shaped it. In 1967 a military decree replaced the four regions with 12 states which saw the birth of Rivers State (when it included all LGAs of present-day Bayelsa State). Additional states were further created by military decrees in 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996 by partitioning or adjusting prior existing ones. It was in 1996 that the state of Bayelsa was created out of Rivers State and Omuma LGA was also created out of Etche.
1979 ushered in the Second Republic after an elected Constituent Assembly drafted a new American-style constitution. The ensuing election saw Shehu Shagari become Executive President with Alex Ekwueme, the Vice President. A most important event here is the introduction of the Senate in the Nigeria political system and so our timeline begins here in our current context of a senate seat. Thus, the statement that an Etche person has never been to the Senate begins at this point, at the inception of the Second Republic of 1979.
Albeit, this was a short-lived Republic that was aborted in 1983. The military ruled for about another ten years followed by an aborted and chaotic Third Republic that never actually got off the ground. The current Fourth Republic was ushered in in 1999, ending three decades of intermittent military rule and the emergence of a true and stable political Nigeria Republic with many back-to-back civilian electoral transitions till date with no further military interruptions.
These Republics and the intervening creation of new states (and LGAs) had their various geo-political partitioning of senatorial redistricting in which Etche saw herself tossed around and grouped with what can be viewed as rather arbitrarily different and changing neighbours, with some from very far away lands. This juggling of states and senatorial groupings in a state of flux has definitely contributed to making Etche not the focus for the senate seat and thus the implicit elusiveness.
The Second Republic of 1979 saw the UPN, NPN, NPP, GNPP and PRP political parties, nine local government areas and five senatorial districts in Rivers state. The senatorial districts were Port Harcourt, Ahoada, Brass, Ogoni and Degema (PABOD). Etche was paired with Ikwerre in the Ikwerre/Etche (Ikwerre, Emuoha, Etche, Omuma) local government area and was in the Ahoada Senatorial District. There were two elections, one in 1979 that ran the full gamut and the truncated half twin in 1983 that lasted only three months. The Ahoada Senatorial zone was represented by Senator Chief Francis Ellah of Ogba land in 1979 and by Senator Victor Odili of Ndoni in 1983. That Etche did not go to the senate at this time was not because she did not have the political heavy weights that were competently capable for these senate positions, for after all, there were Chief Dominic Anucha, Esq., Dr. Eze Nwala, Captain Ujor Iroegbu, Dr. Nwanuoro Okere, Dr. S. L. O. Oluo, Chief James O. Nweke, Mr. S. O. Nwogu, Esq., Hon Onyenma Adiele, Dr. S O. Nweke, to mention a few.
The Third Republic of 1992 was fraught with biases and flavours that included many sensational moments, half-steps and missteps: the infamous June 12 elections, the swearing in of the national assembly about a year after elections, rampant redistricting, second national assembly winners that were never sworn in, and the one-million man march. There were two elections that started with 18 local government areas in Rivers State; the two elections were truncated. Here, Etche found herself grouped with Khana, Gokana, Ikwerre, Emuoha, Obio/Akpor, Oyigbo, Tai-Eleme. It was Senator Dr. Bennet Birabi of Gokana Ogoni that represented this district in 1992. In the senatorial groupings for the (second) 1997 elections, all states were to have three senatorial districts each. Rivers State then had 23 LGAs that persist to date with three Senatorial Districts : East, South East and West. This was the time Bayelsa was carved out of Rivers State. East Senatorial District comprised Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre, Emuoha, Etche, Omuma, Okrika and Ogu-Bolo. Thus, Etche as an ethnic nationality (in the two LGAs of Etche and Omuma), finds herself in the East Senatorial District grouped ethnically with the Ikwerres and Okrikans. Noble Chukumati of Obio/Akpor Ikwerre was elected to represent the zone this time. Again, it was not for the lack of the eminent politicians in Etche that precluded Etche twice from this seat in this Republic. Etche had the same politicians of the Second Republic plus great sons like Sir Isaiah Choko, Dr. Obi Njoku, Esq., Hon. Chief Allwell Onyesoh and Professor R. N. P. Nwankwoala.
The current Fourth Republic of 1999 has ushered in a flavour of stability and democracy never seen before: sustained multi-partism, six elections representing five consecutive civilian-to-civilian seamless transitions, and five full four-year terms and no truncation so far. It is now clear that Nigeria has evolved into a sustainable democracy. The senatorial districts remain the same as in the latter Third Republic, meaning Etche finds herself still with the Ikwerres and Okrikans in the East Senatorial zone. This republic saw Senator John Mbata of Ikwerre representing this zone in 1999 and 2003, Senator George Sekibo of Okrika in 2007 and 2011, Senator Andrew Uchendu of Emuoha Ikwerre in 2015 and again, Senator George Sekibo of Okrika in 2019. Again, in these many cycles, a senate seat remains elusive for Etche, this time though, not for lack of significant participation in the senatorial elections: Chief Dominic Anucha, Esq. and Zubi Nwuke, Esq. contested in the 2003 senatorial race; S. O. Nwogu, Esq. contested in the 2003, 2007 and 2011 senate runs; and Linus Nwauzi, Esq. contested in 2003.
Etche is now etched permanently in the East Senatorial District with her neighbours, the Ikwerres and the Okrikans, starting from the Third Republic. As elucidated above, we see the flip-flopping occupation of this seat between these two neighbours as if Etche does not exist. Etche has been clamouring for this slot since the beginning of this Fourth Republic. In particular, Hon. Chief Allwell Onyesoh co-founded the socio-cultural organization, Etche Heritage Foundation in 2013, whose purpose is to promote Etche interests, and in a series of lectures and publications, alerted Rivers State people (and beyond) about the political marginalization of Etche stemming from her continued absence from the Senate.
2023 elections are nigh again. One prominent reason contributing to the elusive senate seat for Etche has been attributable to the rather random partitioning and redistricting in state and local government creations (and adjustments) and arbitrariness in senatorial groupings at various times; these have made it seem as if Etche fell through the cracks.
However, this Fourth Republic has now stabilized and made the senatorial groups permanent and so all successive elections are based on these same groups. This is why one can say that it is time for fairness and equity to prevail. Thus, it is of a great significant importance when a major party PDP, under the leadership of Governor Wike, in displaying a strong sense of wisdom, fairness, equity and bravery gives Etche a fair chance at the East Senatorial District seat by zoning it to Etche in the upcoming general elections. PDP and Governor Wike did not only stop here, but in an act of genius elected Chief Hon. Allwell Onyesoh of Etche in the PDP primaries as flag bearer for Rivers East Senatorial District. This is not only an act of bravery but also of exemplary leadership since by this singular move, all other political parties in the state followed suit in zoning this senatorial seat to Etche; hence PDP and Governor Wike have assumed the very enviable position of political pacesetters. It is finally Etche’s turn; an ode to Etche.
The choice of Chief Hon. Allwell Onyesoh is also another masterstroke. Chief Hon. Allwell Onyesoh is ably qualified for this position, having served the state well in various official capacities. He is intelligent, he is a man of integrity and focus, he is a statesman that cuts across various socio-cultural ethnic groups in the state, he has a strong sense of fairness, and he is known to always fight for the rights of whichever constituency he represents. There is no doubt whatsoever that he will represent all of the East Senatorial District well.
Lest we forget one most important fact also: Governor Nyesom Wike could easily have opted for this East Senatorial District seat being from Obio/Akpor LGA in this same district as Etche. It is a well known fact in Nigeria of today that the Senate has become the next stop after a governorship tenure. The Nigeria Senate currently has 15 past governors and 28 past and present governors are candidates for the Senate in the upcoming 2023 elections. Arguably, one may say that Governor Wike’s bid for the PDP Presidential ticket had diverted his attention away from this Senate seat. This may or may not have been the case but his subsequent stance after losing or robbed of (as some say) his presidential bid, he never made any attempt to scurry for this senate position; we are all aware of some other presidential aspirants who attempted to gun for a senatorial seat after their failed bids for the presidential ticket. Governor Wike remained resolute in PDP’s zoning decision for Etche to take this senatorial slot. This is a rare display of firmness and integrity in the Nigeria polity.
Putting all these facts together, Etche people must applaud and be grateful to Governor Nyesom Wike (and PDP) for this wonderful opportunity given Etche to serve. By this act, Rivers State, a domiciliation of ethnic minorities, should celebrate the diversity intrinsic in her composition; win or lose, this is an act of exemplary triumph that makes Rivers State whole.
*Dr. Acho Nwokogba Is The President Of Etche Heritage Foundation.*
