2nd Term Inauguration: Rivers People Celebrate Wike …As RSG Carpets Awara Over Comment On AAC Crisis

Rivers State-based entertainers have joined their international counterparts to celebrate Governor Nyesom Wike for his outstanding performance which formed the premise for his victory at the polls.
The entertainers took advantage of the gathering at the event tagged, “Variety Night with Governor Wike”, where the artistes thrilled the high-profile audience with songs, drama and comedy.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, former Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose and former Rivers State Governor, Sir Celestine Omehia joined other leaders of Rivers State for the fun-filled night.
The Rivers State Council of Arts and Council performed a wonderful dance drama that detailed the political struggles and successes of the governor.
The Rivers State official cultural troupe highlighted how Rivers men and women defended their votes for Wike against invading forces.
One after the other, the Rivers-based artistes exhibited their talents and skills to the joy of the crowd.
Jikume Bethlehem raised the bar with her inspiring lyrics and wonderful dance steps.
She exhibited the true Rivers spirit and was appreciated by the audience.
Veteran singer, Peter Stonecold proved his mettle as he led the people in a wonderful rendition that lifted the spirit of everyone.
Sensational Bamidele and Ebieri were outstanding in their presentations.
International Gospel Artiste, Mercy Chinwo was a delight as she sang her award-winning songs and lifted the spirit of the people.
Eben was the most outstanding act of the night.
His two songs, “victory” and “we go de hail your name” proved to be the blessing of the night.
Eben defined the wonderful experience of the night with a divine touch.
Three comedians, Akpororo, Prince Hezekiah and Arinze Baba blessed the souls of the audience with their rib-cracking jokes.
In his remarks, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Austin Opara said of the 22 artistes that performed, 19 were Port Harcourt-based.
He said that Wike specifically directed that Rivers-based artistes be patronised for the event.
In appreciation, the artistes trooped out and thanked the governor for his commitment to the growth of the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has dismissed the allegation by the Africa Action Congress (AAC) that Governor Nyesom Wike was behind the crisis currently rocking the party.
The AAC had alleged that Wike’s “plan scuttled the party’s efforts to reclaim its mandate” at the Rivers State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which led to the contentious removal of Omoyele Sowore as national chairman and appointment of Leonard Nzenwa in acting capacity.
It would be recalled that in reaction to his replacement, Sowore announced the expulsion of Ezenwa, the former national secretary, for anti-party activities.
Reacting to the development, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, explained that Wike had no hand in AAC crisis.
He said: “Like the governor has always said, he is a PDP leader; he has nothing to do with any other party. He won his election fair and square, Rivers people defended their votes, and they gave him their mandate.
“The governor is also at the tribunal. PDP lawyers are at the tribunal defending the mandate on behalf of Rivers people. He has no hand in their crisis.
“There’s is no party like AAC in the first place. It has nothing on ground in Rivers State, the party is an online party. It doesn’t exist in Rivers or anywhere in Nigeria. How many votes did AAC score in the presidential election or any other election for that matter?
“The mandate is clear, the people voted for him overwhelmingly. Governor Wike won the election by over 712,000 votes and on May 29, he will go for his second term inauguration”, Nwakaudu added.
Earlier in a statement, last Friday, the AAC Rivers governorship candidate, Engineer Biokpomabo Festus Awara, had alleged that, “Mr. Nzenwa, having received an undisclosed sum of Rivers money, is acting a script given to him by forcing the lawyer representing us at the Election Petition Tribunal, Tawo E. Tawo (SAN) to withdraw from representing us, and imposing one of the known cronies of the Rivers State governor to take over the case.
“We have it on a good authority that Governor Wike single-handedly financed the ‘failed suspension’ of our National Chairman, Omoyele Sowore, and in a bid to buy more members of the party, he (Wike) has also reached out to the National Legal Adviser of our party Barrister Inibehe Effiong, who declined to accept the bribe offered him by the governor.
“To this end, we are calling on Mr Nyesom Wike to channel the resources he is expending on bribing everyone just to scuttle our victory at the tribunal to other meaningful ventures like addressing the infrastructural deficit in the state and problems of insecurity rather than wasting our resources on bribery.
“We, therefore, call on Rivers people to remain calm as we continue with our case at the Tribunal.”