Barrister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (CON) |
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6th Governor of Rivers State | |
Assumed office 29 May 2015 |
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Preceded by | Rotimi Amaechi |
Personal details | |
Born | 13 December 1967 Rumuepirikom, Obio-Akpor, Rivers State, Nigeria |
Political party | People's Democratic Party (PDP) |
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 Party and was educated at Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
Wike was appointed Minister of State for Education on 14 July 2011. He was later appointed the Acting Minister of Education, after Mrs Riqqayatu was sacked but resigned before finishing his term to campaign for Governor of Rivers State. He was replaced by Viola Onwuliri. In 2014, he won the Rivers State People's Democratic Party primary and chose former Secretary to the State Government Ipalibo Banigo as his running mate for deputy governor.
He defeated Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the April 11 Gubernatorial Polls to emerge as governor.
On May 13, 2015, the Election Tribunal for Rivers State, sitting in Abuja, commenced the hearing on the election of Nyesom Wike. Dr Dakuku Peterside of the APC is seeking the tribunal to nullify the election of Nyesom Wike of the PDP who was declared winner as governor in the poll held on April 11, 2015, on the grounds that it was fraught with malpractices and non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Nyesom Wike opposed the hearing of the case in Abuja, arguing that the Tribunal should be held in Port Harcourt. But the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachawa, rejected Wike's arguments and ordered that the tribunal be held in Abuja, for reason of security. Justice Zainab also ordered that, besides Rivers, all Election Petition Tribunals for Adamawa, Borno and Yobe beheld in Abuja.