Wike Tightens Grip On Rivers Loyalist Ejekwu Emerges Pdp Governorship Candidate

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:09]Hello, it's a pleasure to have you join us on News Express.

[00:00:15]The political battle for River State has entered an even more explosive phase and this time the message coming from the camp of the Federal Capital Territory Minister Nomik is becoming impossible to ignore.

[00:00:33]And in yet another major political development that is already shaking Rivers politics ahead of the 2027 elections, former River State Commissioner for Transport Samuku has emerged as the PDP's governorship candidate in the state.

[00:00:54]But this is not just another ordinary party primary.

[00:00:59]This development carries enormous political meaning because Ajuku is widely known as a loyal ally of Wiki and his emergence now means something extraordinary is happening quietly beneath the surface of rivers politics.

[00:01:21]For the first time since the beta political war between Governor Simina Fubara and Wik exploded publicly, the former governor now appears to have positioned loyal political structures inside both measure parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

[00:01:41]And that changes everything because when you look carefully at what is unfolding a larger strategic begins to a larger strategy begins to emerge.

[00:01:56]Kleinda another politician widely associated with Wik's political network has already emerged as the governorship candidate of the APC in River State. Now Sam Eduko has emerged as the PDP concess candidates. Suddenly both dominant political platforms in rivers are producing candidates connected to the same political power center. That development is now triggering intense debate across the state because many political observers are beginning to ask a deeper provocative question. Is WK gradually building political control beyond party lines themselves?

[00:02:41]And if that is truly the strategy, then what exactly happens to Governor Siminal Fubara's political future after stepping aside from the governorship race?

[00:02:53]The emergence of AJU reportedly followed affirmable votes conducted across local government structures under the supervision of an electoral committee headed by Tajin Yu.

[00:03:10]According to party officials, the process was smooth, transparent and uncontested with Auku standing as the sole candidate during the exercise.

[00:03:23]But politically, the significance of this moment goes far beyond procedural details.

[00:03:32]What River State is witnessing now appears to be the consolidation of an organized political structure that survived one of the most chaotic political crisis Nigeria has experienced in recent years.

[00:03:49]Remember the conflict between Wik and Fubara was not merely a disagreement between political allies.

[00:03:57]It evolved into a brutal struggle for control involving the state assembly, impeachment threats, emergency rule, federal intervention, divided party structures, and open confrontation between camps loyal to both men.

[00:04:19]At the height of the crisis, many Nigerians believe River State was approaching complete political collapse.

[00:04:29]Lawmakers split into hostile factions.

[00:04:33]Court cases multiplied.

[00:04:35]Security concerns escalated.

[00:04:38]Governance itself appeared threatened as the states became trapped inside a prolonged political war.

[00:04:45]Yet through all that chaos, one reality remained constant.

[00:04:52]Mik's political influence never completely disappeared.

[00:04:56]Even after leaving office as governor and moving to Abuja as FCT minister, the former Rivers governor continued maintaining deep political networks across the state.

[00:05:11]That influence is exactly what many analysts now believe is revealing itself fully through the emergence of candidates like Chinda and Auko inside the APC and PDP respectively.

[00:05:29]And here is where the story becomes even more politically fascinating.

[00:05:36]Sam Auko is not just any random political figure. suddenly appearing ahead of elections.

[00:05:43]He has longstanding roots within reverse politics and served as Ketica chairman of Portacot City Local Government multiple times before becoming commissioner for transport.

[00:05:58]His emergence therefore represents continuity within a broader political establishment rather than a fresh outsider movement.

[00:06:09]Most importantly, his loyalty to Mik is well known inside River's political circles.

[00:06:17]That is why his emergence immediately intensified speculation that the former governor may now possess strategic leverage inside both major political parties simultaneously.

[00:06:30]Think carefully about how extraordinary that possibility is.

[00:06:36]In most political systems, rival parties compete aggressively against each other using completely separate power structures.

[00:06:46]But rivers politics increasingly appears different.

[00:06:50]What is emerging now looks more like a battle over who controls political machinery itself, regardless of party platform.

[00:07:00]And if one political block manages to dominate strategic influence inside both APC and PDP structures, then the entire political landscape changes dramatically.

[00:07:13]That is exactly why the phrase rainbow coalition has now become politically important in river's discussions.

[00:07:23]Eduko himself reportedly praised the coalition associated with Mik, describing it as a force capable of shaping future political alignments within the state.

[00:07:36]But what exactly is this coalition becoming?

[00:07:41]Is it simply an alliance of political loyalist spread across different parties?

[00:07:47]Or is it evolving into something much larger?

[00:07:52]a cross party influence structure capable of determining political outcomes regardless of which platform officially wins elections.

[00:08:04]Those questions are becoming more serious by the day because after months of political turbulence, the emerging picture now suggests that Mik's camp may have survived the river's crisis stronger than many initially expected. Governor Fubar's withdrawal from the APC governorship race already raised major political questions.

[00:08:35]Many observers interpreted the move as evidence that the governor's political space had narrowed significantly following months of confrontation.

[00:08:47]Then Kings Linda emerged inside APC structures.

[00:08:52]Now a juko has emerged within PDP structures.

[00:08:56]Taken together this developments creates the impression that wik's influence may now extend across the two biggest political battlegrounds in River State simultaneously.

[00:09:09]And that leaves Governor Fubara in an increasingly uncomfortable position politically because despite remaining governor, the real question many people are now asking is whether he still controls enough political structure to shape the future of Rivers politics independently.

[00:09:33]The answer to that question remains uncertain.

[00:09:37]What is clear, however, is that the political environment around him has changed dramatically.

[00:09:45]The same governor who once appear ready to challenge entrenched political control now finds himself surrounded by rapidly shifting alliances, strategic withdrawals, and expanding influence from rival camps.

[00:10:05]But perhaps the most explosive implication of Ajuku's emergence lies in what it says about the future of opposition politics in River State itself.

[00:10:17]If both APC and PDP candidates are now associated with the same political coalition, where exactly does genuine political opposition emerge from?

[00:10:31]Can river still experience competitive democratic politics if measure structures increasingly appear aligned around one dominant influence net works?

[00:10:45]Or are voters now simply being presented with different party logos representing variations of the same political machine?

[00:10:55]Those are deeply sensitive questions and politically they matter enormously because River State is not just another ordinary state in Nigeria.

[00:11:09]It remains one of the country's most economically strategic and politically influential regions.

[00:11:17]Whoever controls rivers politics controls enormous financial, electoral and structural influence nationally.

[00:11:28]That is why the struggle between Wik and Fubara became so intense in the first place.

[00:11:35]It was never merely about personal clashes. It was about political control, succession, loyalty, and long-term influence over one of Nigeria's most important political territories.

[00:11:52]For now, supporters of the PDP are celebrating Ajuko's emergence as evidence of party unity and organizational strength.

[00:12:04]Party officials inside the process was transparent and smooth.

[00:12:09]Loyalists believe the PDP remains fully positioned for victory despite recent political turbulence. Meanwhile, Wik support has increasingly fueled the latest developments as proof that the former governor's political machinery remains deeply rooted and strategically resilient despite attempts to weaken his influence.

[00:12:36]But beneath the celebrations and political statements, one larger reality is quietly taking shape.

[00:12:44]The battle for River State may no longer simply be about APC versus PDP.

[00:12:51]It may now be about who truly controls the structures behind both parties.

[00:12:57]And if that is indeed what is happening, then the political future of River State is entering an entirely new and highly unpredictable phase ahead of 2027.

[00:13:12]Stay with us on News Express for more updates and in-depth analysis. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe. I am Casoni and many thanks for watching.