Wike paying obeisance to Rotimi Amaechi, his former boss.
By Alfred Spiff
At state level, he was relatively an unknown figure particularly during his time as the Chief of Staff to then Gov. Rotimi Amaechi. Preceding that period, he was even more obscure as the Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government.
Yet when he came into public consciousness as a junior Minister of Education, Wike was the equivalent of a meek lamb, always cutting the picture of a self effacing, polite, harmless and friendly public figure.
Then came the 2014-2015 election season and a completely different Wike emerged as he bidded to assume the Governorship seat in his state.
Hard to tell if the character flip was induced by a behavioural change enhancing prescriptions or he suddenly became power drunk(he had the federal might behind him then), or he was a mere pretender who cleverly hoodwinked the public into believing he was as sweet as saccharine.
Whichever, from then on, the man became a public spectacle engaging in dirty and bruising battle first with Amaechi, his erstwhile principal and subsequently with perceived or real enemies either within or outside his party.
To observers, the attitude became progressively worrisome. Crossing his path alone or just merely looking in his direction usually incurs the wrath of His Imperial Majesty who struts his stuff like a snorting elephant ready to trample on anything on its path.
Small wonder he takes offense easily much like a weakling, but masks his apparent weakness with a childish, cantankerous bravado reminiscent of that of a school bully.
Give it to the Governor if ever there is a prize for public misconduct, or for the most uncouth, uncivil, abusive, troublesome and intemperate politically exposed persons in the country. And how does he hawk his trade? He curries the limelight so much that more time is spent lavishing state resources on paid television appearances-to lampoon his assumed foes, or make needless and ineffectual point-than on actual governance. Here, grandstanding and playing to the gallery are standard fare.
A disingenuous manipulator who relishes in chicanery and political brinksmanship, the man aporobates and reprobates, as typically as he downgrades and belches weird orders to political equals and seniors. With his massive war chest, sense of entitlement and thin god dispositions, you dare not disagree with him except you want to be gaslighted, or cancelled out, in a manner of speaking.
Just as he’s busy fighting and denigrating his party, he’s also wont to visit his magisterial wrath on esteemed gatherings of traditional rulers. Even fellow Governors, political associates and just anybody are easy preys for his indecent tongue and motorpark mannerisms. This is aside from his garden variety diss which many hold as being inebriation related or induced.
A recent indiscretion towards the Nigerian Bar Association(NBA)- his professional constituency- has earned him clapback thinly dubbing him a dangerous man, always with a hammer ready to nail anything and evertything
Not for him profound policy pronouncements, intellectual engagement, sound governance road map or ennobling or inspiring soundbites, except indecent jibes that regularly catch his fancy and aimed to impress birds of same plummage like his.
In all of his seven-year reign, available as his own evidence of performance are a rash of white elephant projects that that may not see the light of day before or after his exit from office.
And he wants to be President of the country. Audacious. Cheeky. His rights though. But what model of a President will he be?
Well, doubtful if he’ll get the his party’s ticket. If he does, by any sheer force of magic, then he has as much chance in the general election as a one-legged man in an ass-kicking competition.
Truly, that a Nyesom Wike could boldly aspire to rule Nigeria is a very sad commentary on the quality and paucity of leadership in the country.
Alfred Spiff, a public analyst writes from Port Harcourt, Rivers State
