Wike’s Rivers Record Tops Predecessors, Says Nwuche

Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, has declared that Nyesom Wike delivered far more tangible development as governor of Rivers State than his predecessors, Dr Peter Odili and Rotimi Amaechi.

Nwuche made the assessment at a thank-you gathering he hosted over the weekend in his hometown of Ochigba, Ahoada East Local Government Area. The event drew leaders of both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ahoada East and Ahoada West.

Addressing the audience, the Ekpeye political leader said he had known successive governors of the state personally. He challenged the crowd to name any lasting projects left in Ekpeye land by earlier administrations.

“I have known all of them, from Dr Peter Odili up to Chibuike Amaechi before Wike. I know them one on one,” Nwuche said. “Let me ask you, sincerely, have there been any development you can point to in Ekpeyeland before Wike’s time? Just point to one. We had Peter Odili, we had Amaechi—point to one development. None of them left any legacy in Ekpeye: no road projects, no water projects, no electrification, nothing.”

He credited Wike’s eight-year tenure (2015–2023) with transforming the area. According to Nwuche, more than 18 projects were executed in Ekpeye alone. Key among them were the Ahoada Campus of Rivers State University, the dualisation of the Ahoada–Omoku Road by Julius Berger, and the completion of the Ochigba Road. The latter, he noted, had been awarded under the Amaechi administration but abandoned; Wike finished and commissioned it despite Nwuche’s then-opposition to the PDP.

Nwuche placed these local gains within a broader statewide record. He said the Wike administration completed and commissioned more than 1,000 kilometres of roads, many linking rural communities to urban centres.

Among the projects he highlighted were the dualisation of the 16.06-kilometre Saakpenwa–Bori Highway (traversing Tai, Khana and Gokana local government areas), rehabilitation of the 11.53-kilometre Eleme–Afam (Oyigbo) Road, completion of the Nkoro–Opobo section of the Ogoni–Opobo–Andoni Unity Road, dualisation of the Ahoada–Omoku Road with street lighting, and the construction of 10 flyovers in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor.

Independent accounts of Wike’s governorship confirm a heavy emphasis on infrastructure. He completed numerous roads begun by previous administrations, dualised major corridors, and built a record number of flyovers in the state capital and its environs. Supporters and critics alike have described his approach as aggressively project-focused, earning him the nickname “Mr Projects” from then-acting President Yemi Osinbajo during a 2017 visit.

Nwuche argued that political leaders exist to improve citizens’ welfare and drive development. Those who failed to use their time in office productively, he said, have no moral authority to lecture younger generations. He also criticised leaders who, in his view, used public office to oppress people or enrich themselves, insisting they should neither seek elective office nor accept appointments.

He urged current and aspiring leaders to emulate Wike’s style of project conception, supervision and delivery, describing the FCT Minister as “second to none” in that regard. Nwuche reaffirmed his support for Wike and for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He described himself as a grassroots politician and political leader of the Ekpeye people, promising to tour communities across the kingdom to mobilise backing.

The former lawmaker noted that he returned to active politics after a period of sabbatical. He linked the 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democratic rule since 1999 to a call for Nigerians to “cross the Rubicon” by ensuring victory for Tinubu and candidates of the Rainbow Coalition—including Kingsley Chinda—in the 2027 general elections.

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Nwuche’s remarks fit a consistent pattern of public support for Wike from the Ekpeye leader. In recent years he has repeatedly credited Wike with elevating traditional stools in the area, completing abandoned roads, and siting the university campus, while also backing the minister’s broader political initiatives, including the Rainbow Coalition aimed at expanding Tinubu’s 2027 support base across party lines.

The statement comes amid ongoing political realignments in Rivers State, where former governors Odili, Amaechi and Wike continue to cast long shadows over current alignments. Nwuche’s intervention underscores the enduring role of infrastructure delivery as a central claim in the state’s competitive political narrative.