Evans Bipi, the former Chief Whip of the Rivers State House of Assembly, has alleged that the 2023 general election in Rivers was manipulated under the supervision of ex-governor Nyesom Wike.
Bipi made these claims at a rally organized by women’s groups from all 23 local government areas in support of current Governor Siminalayi Fubara. He specifically stated that the Labour Party had won all their elections in the state.
Bipi’s comments were in response to a recent video featuring Wike, now the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, who claimed that he and his allies would face no opposition in the forthcoming general election. Wike and Fubara, his immediate successor, have been in conflict since the start of Fubara’s term as governor.
Wike, the former governor, had reportedly assured his followers that Fubara would be defeated in the next gubernatorial race and subsequently removed from the state government house. In contrast, Bipi, representing Fubara at the rally, argued that the high level of female mobilization would ensure Fubara’s victory in any election.
Furthermore, Bipi claimed that Wike and his supporters did not win any seats in the 2023 elections. He quoted Exodus 14:13, suggesting that Wike’s influence would diminish, and expressed a desire for the year 2027 to arrive so that they could demonstrate their performance.