By Ola Kay
The political climate in Rivers Senatorial District took a dramatic turn over the weekend as deep-seated divisions rocking the Wike Support Group played out, following the controversial endorsement of Senator Barry Mpigi by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike.
The Pinnacle Times gathered that the meeting which took place at the minister’s residence, ended in fiasco as key political figures, including Kamalu, Magnus Abe, Innocent Barikor, Victor Giadom, Olaka Nwogu, Kenneth Kobani, and other stakeholders, staged a walkout in protest against what they described as an attempt to impose Mpigi on the people.
The development led to the supporters of the aggrieved leaders rejecting Wike’s unilateral decision to anoint Barry Mpigi as his preferred governorship candidate.
The horse trading was seen as an act of political subjugation, was met with stiff resistance, as they decried Wike’s continuous interference in the democratic process.
Grapevine revealed from Wike Support Group that Barry Mpigi’s record in the Senate has been nothing short of disappointing. For instance, he was criticized that in his second term as senator he has remained an absentee lawmaker, without any tangible representation to the people of Rivers South South.
“His tenure has been marked by inefficiency, unfulfilled promises, and a complete disconnect from the needs of his constituents. Yet, Nyesom Wike, in his characteristic fashion, is forcing him down the throats of the people once again, despite the glaring evidence of his failures. But the move is not about performance, but an access to gain control as the government plans to resume oil production in Ogoni land, ” according to an inside source who preferred not to be mentioned
Similarly, it was alleged that Barry Mpigi entered into a secret pact with Wike, in a move likely to result in mortgaging the state’s resources in exchange for political support. This has also been dismissed as unlikely based on the fact that the incumbent governor, sir Siminalayi Fubara is working assiduously to maintain his hold on political power in the state, even as he continues to improve on infrastructural development of the state to garner peoples support.
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