Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, Former Governor of Rivers State

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike CON is a Nigerian politician and lawyer who is the sixth and current Governor of Rivers State since May 2015. 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.

BACKGROUND

Wike was elected as a two-term Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area from 1999 to 2007. He was appointed Minister of State for Education on 14 July 2011. Wike was later appointed the Acting Minister of Education, after Mrs Ruqqayatu 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.

Wike defeated Dakuku Peterside of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Tonye Princewill of the Labour Party in the 11 April gubernatorial elections to emerge as governor. In March 2022, Wike declared that he will be running for the office of the president of Nigeria under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party ahead of the 2023 General election, he was defeated by Atiku Abubakar who won the primaries with 371 votes while Wike got 237 votes being the first runner up. during the People’s Democratic Party presidential election primary which was held at the MKO ABIOLA National stadium, Abuja on 28 and 29 May 2022.

Wike attended Government Secondary School Eneka in Obiakpor, Rivers State where he sat for his O’level exams before proceeding to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUT). He obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from RSUT before proceeding to Law School in 1997. Wike holds a Master of Arts degree in Political and Administrative Studies from RSUT.

Wike began his political career as the Executive Chairman of Obio Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers in 1999, a position he held until 2007, after being re-elected in 2003. In 2007, he was appointed as the chief of staff to the governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi. In July 2011, he was appointed as the Minister of State for Education by President Goodluck Jonathan and was promoted to Federal Minister of Education in September 2013. He stepped down as Federal Minister to contest in the 2015 gubernatorial elections in his home state, Rivers State

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