The

Rivers State Rivers State, also known as Rivers, is a state in the Niger Delta region of southern Nigeria (Old Eastern Region). Formed in 1967, when it was split from the former Eastern Region, Rivers State borders include: Imo to the north, Abia and Akwa Ib ...

gubernatorial election took place on 9 March 2019, concurrently with various other Nigerian state level elections. A rerun of the vote was held in Abua–Odual,

Ahoada West Ahoada West (also spelt Ahuda West) is a Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria, located northwest of Port Harcourt. It was extracted in 1996 from the old Ahoada Local Government that makes up the present Orashi Region of Rivers State. It ...

, Gokana and

Opobo–Nkoro Opobo/Nkoro is a Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is part of the Andoni/Gokana/Khana/Oyigbo/Tai/Eleme constituency of the Nigerian National Assembly delegation from Rivers The Nigerian National Assembly The National Asse ...

on 13 April. One-term incumbent

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike Ezenwo Nyesom Wike (born 13 December 1967), is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who is the sixth and current Governor of Rivers State. He is an Ikwerre from Rumuepirikom in Obio-Akpor, Rivers State. He is a member of the People's Democratic ...

of the

People's Democratic Party People's Democratic Party or ''variant thereof'', could refer to: * People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan *People's Democratic Party (Belize) *People's Democratic Party (Bhutan) *People's Democratic Party (Chile) * People's Democratic Party (Dom ...

was eligible to run for re-election. He won in

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...

with 87.77% of the vote. Vote counting after the elections was suspended after widespread violence in the state. On 3 April, the INEC declared that incumbent Wike won re-election, as the total number of voters in areas where elections were cancelled or did not hold was not enough to give his opponent victory.

Background

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike previously served as Minister of State for Education prior to becoming governor. He was also Chairman of the 2016 PDP National Convention Committee. Wike considered running for a second term as the state's chief executive, and 51 years old at the time of the election in 2019. There had been reports of a rift between members of the

All Progressives Congress The All Progressives Congress (APC) is one of the two major contemporary political parties in Nigeria, along with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Founded on 6 February 2013 from a merger of Nigeria's three largest opposition parties, the ...

Dakuku Peterside Dakuku Adol Peterside is a Nigerian politician. He was formerly the Director General of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency since March 2016. Prior to his role at NIMASA, he was a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives ...

and Ibim Semenitari. The state party chairman, Davies Ikanya has, however, denied this. In 2017, Transportation Minister

Chibuike Amaechi Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (born 27 May 1965) is a Nigerian politician, he served as the Federal Minister of Transportation of Nigeria from 2015 to 2022 under the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned to contest for Nigeria's presidency ...

got involved in a dispute with party members, after he declared billionaire businessman

Tonye Cole Tonye Patrick Cole (born 11 January 1967) is a Nigerian businessman, he is the co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in Nigeria and neighbouring We ...

as his choice for the All Progressives Congress nomination for governor. On 22 May 2017, Senate minority leader and former governor

Godswill Akpabio Chief Godswill Obot Akpabio, (born 9 December 1962), is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. He is the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs as he resigned on 11 May 2022 on the direction of President Muhammadu Buhari to contest at presidential ...

announced that he would support a second term for Governor Wike in the Brick House. Former Senate President

David Mark David Alechenu Bonaventure Mark , is a retired Nigerian Army Brigadier General and politician. He was President of the Senate of Nigeria from 2007 to 2015 and was the Senator for Benue South Senatorial District Benue State. He is a member of the ...

and Deputy Senate President

Ike Ekweremadu Ike Ekweremadu (born 12 May 1962) is a Nigerian politician and lawyer from Enugu State who has served in the Senate of Nigeria since May 2003. He is a member of the People's Democratic Party, and was the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate f ...

also voiced their endorsement of the incumbent governor to run for reelection.

Election

References

Rivers State gubernatorial elections Election and referendum articles with incomplete results March 2019 events in Nigeria 2019 Rivers State elections Governorship of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike April 2019 events in Africa {{RiversState-stub

Background

Election

See also

References