Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Nigerian politician, who served as the federal minister of transportation of Nigeria from 2015 to 2022 under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. He resigned to contest for Nigeria's presidency under the governing All Progressive Congress (APC). He had previously served as governor of oil-rich Rivers State, from 2007 to 2015 and earlier, as speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. On 9 April 2022, Amaechi declared interest to contest in the presidential election in 2023. He polled second position in the APC presidential primaries held in June 2022 behind eventual president Bola Tinubu with 316 delegate votes against Tinubu's 1271 votes.
The Ikwerre is an ethnic group in Rivers State, Nigeria. The Ikwerre ethnic group in Rivers State, spans over four Local Government Areas; Port Harcourt, Obio Akpor, Ikwerre, and Emohua.. Pockets of the Ikwerre are found in Ohaji-Egbema LGA of Imo State.
The Governor of Rivers State is the Chief executive of the Rivers State government and is one of the governors of the thirty-six states of Nigeria. The Governor is supported by the Deputy Governor, both popularly elected for a term of four years. The Governor, as head of the executive branch, has the power to appoint commissioners responsible for each of the state's ministries, the heads of parastatals, judicial officers and the state-owned bodies with specific regulatory or administrative duties. They cannot be a member of the state House of Assembly.
Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who has served as the minister of the Federal Capital Territory since 2023. He previously served as the governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023.
Ipalibo Gogo Banigo in Obuama, Degema, Rivers State. She is a Nigerian medical doctor and politician who is the current senator representing Rivers West Senatorial District since 2023. She served as the first female deputy governor of Rivers State from 2015 to 2023.
The election for Governor of Rivers State took place on 11 April 2015. People's Democratic Party candidate Ezenwo Wike, a former Minister of State for Education defeated All Progressives Congress candidate Dakuku Peterside and Labour Party candidate Tonye Princewill.
The Politics of Rivers State function within the framework of a presidential republic, with the Governor of Rivers State as both head of state and head of government. Rivers State is known for a politically engaged citizenry. The official seat of government is in Port Harcourt. Under the Constitution, Executive power is vested in the Governor. This does not change the fact that such authority may also be exercised through the Deputy Governor or Commissioners. Legislative power is vested in a 32-member unicameral House of Assembly. Judicial power is exercised solely by the judiciary of Rivers State.
The Executive Council, also known as the Governor's Cabinet is the highest administrative decision-making authority in Rivers State. It is part of the executive branch which is the most influential branch of the state government. It comprises the governor, deputy governor, Secretary to the State Government, chief of staff, commissioners and special advisers. All of its members excluding the Deputy Governor are appointed by the Governor of Rivers State and confirmed by the House of the Assembly of the state.
Kenneth Bie Kobani is a Nigerian politician of the People's Democratic Party. He is a former Rivers State Commissioner of Finance, and was previously a Commissioner of Commerce and Industry. He was a former National Treasurer of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).He served as a minister in the Cabinet of President Jonathan, serving as the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment. He is a former Secretary to the State Government in Rivers State, a position to which he was appointed in June 2015. and left office in 2019.
Elections in Rivers State are supervised and conducted by two major electoral bodies, Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). There are 23 local government areas, 319 electoral wards and 4442 polling units in the state. Elections for Governor and the House of Assembly are held every four years, along with federal elections for President and the National Assembly.
Emmanuel Ihuoma Okah, commonly known as Emma Okah, is a lawyer and politician in Rivers State. A member of the People's Democratic Party, he served as Chief Press Secretary under Governor Odili, and was also Commissioner of Information under Omehia's government. He has chaired the Media and Publicity Committee of the Rivers State People's Democratic Party Campaign Organisation. After the PDP took over, Governor Ezenwo Wike appointed him to his cabinet. He was confirmed by the House on 5 June 2015 was sworn-in as Housing Commissioner on 12 June 2015.
The following is a timeline of the governorship of Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, also known as the Wike administration, from his inauguration as Governor of Rivers State on 29 May 2015 to 29 May 2023.
The First Wike Executive Council was the Executive Council of Rivers State between 5 June 2015 and 24 June 2017. It was led by Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike with Ipalibo Banigo as Vice-Chairman. The first set of appointments to the cabinet were made on 5 June 2015. The designees included Kenneth Kobani, Chukwuemeka Woke, Emmanuel C. Aguma, Fred Kpakol, Onimim Jacks, Emmanuel Okah and Opunabo Inko-Tariah. Governor Wike appointed Desmond Akawor, Ambassador to South Korea, to serve as Administrator of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority.
The Government House, also known as Brick House or Governor's House, is located at Old GRA, Port Harcourt in Rivers State, Nigeria. It is the official residence of the Rivers State chief executive, the head of government, and the home to the governors of Rivers State and their families. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many high-level government conferences, receptions, and functions hosted by the occupant.
The Rivers State 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, Gokana and Opobo–Nkoro on 13 April. One-term incumbent Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of the People's Democratic Party was eligible to run for re-election. He won in 2015 with 87.77% of the vote.
Andrew Igbonule Uchendu is a Nigerian politician. He is currently a member of the Senate of Nigeria representing the Rivers East senatorial district. He had always been a member of the People's Democratic Party until 2014 when he switched allegiance to the All Progressives Congress party. Between 2003 and 2015, he represented the Ikwerre–Emohua constituency in the Federal House of Representatives.
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.
Tamunobaabo Wenike Danagogo is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, and the current Secretary to the State Government of Rivers State since May 2019. Before that, he was the Minister of Sports in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is a graduate of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The 2023 Rivers State gubernatorial election will take place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Rivers State, concurrent with elections to the Rivers State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election—which was postponed from its original 11 March date—will be held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.
