Rivers Will Soon Be Renamed Wike’s State – Babafemi Ojudu

Babafemi Ojudu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former presidential aide, has strongly criticized the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, following the emergence of his loyalist, Kingsley Chinda, as the APC governorship candidate for Rivers State.

The political space was thrown into confusion when Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, announced Chinda’s official defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC during plenary on Tuesday. What raised eyebrows was that Chinda—the immediate past Minority Leader in the green chamber—secured the ruling party's governorship ticket weeks before he actually crossed over and became an APC member.

Reacting to the development via his Facebook page on Wednesday, Ojudu questioned the complete breakdown of party discipline and internal democracy, mockingly suggesting the state's impending renaming due to Wike's immense influence.

“What then are we witnessing when a politician obtains the ticket of a party before even becoming a member of that party? Welcome to Rivers State, a soon to be renamed Wike State.”

Ojudu lamented that such moves disregard the loyalty and efforts of dedicated party faithful who spend years building, funding, and defending the party through difficult times, only to be sidelined for political convenience. Chinda is known to be a prominent member of the "rainbow coalition," a cross-party alliance of political heavyweights formed to support President Bola Tinubu.

What do you think about Kingsley Chinda securing the APC governorship ticket before his official defection? Does this cross-party political maneuvering undermine the principles of internal democracy? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments!

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