The battle over political influence in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 governorship election has taken a fresh turn, with an Ogoni diaspora group declaring that no individual should determine the political direction of the state.
The group, led by Canada-based political activist and journalist, Joe Karka-Waadah, threw its weight behind the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Dr Gabriel Pidomson, while questioning the growing influence of former Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, in the state.
Karka-Waadah, in a statement on Wednesday, said Rivers State’s political future should be shaped through broad consultation among its various ethnic nationalities rather than decisions allegedly driven by one political figure.
He specifically faulted Wike over what he described as his alleged influence in the emergence of Hon. Kingsley Chinda, an Ikwerre, as a possible contender in the 2027 governorship race.
According to him, the emergence of political contenders should reflect wider consultations with Rivers people and not the calculations of any individual or political camp.
“No individual should be treated as a political authority whose decisions must be accepted by all ethnic groups in Rivers State,” he said.
Karka-Waadah argued that the state’s diverse communities had equal stakes in its political affairs and should be given equal consideration in determining its leadership.
He also alleged that the current political configuration in Rivers was being shaped to serve long-term political interests, including preparations for the 2031 political cycle.
“So, sacrificing OK Chinda’s minority leadership position in order to enthrone his son in 2031 isn’t an issue for someone like Nyesom Wike,” he alleged.
The activist further claimed that Wike was conscious of Pidomson’s political appeal and the potential support he could attract across the four local government areas that make up Ogoniland.
Pidomson, a former Secretary to the Rivers State Government, emerged as the ADC’s governorship candidate after the party’s May 2026 primary election. He has since positioned his campaign around institutional governance, equitable development and what he describes as resistance to political imposition.
The latest intervention by the Ogoni diaspora group comes shortly after the ADC candidate himself criticised the influence of Wike’s political camp, declaring that Rivers State was not the private estate of any individual or political group.
Karka-Waadah also linked his criticism of the political establishment to the wider economic hardship in the country, blaming policies of the President Bola Tinubu administration for worsening unemployment and living conditions.
On Rivers State, he argued that residents were facing their own development challenges and claimed that the state had recorded less progress than during the administration of former Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
He further alleged that Wike’s political influence had become excessive, saying the state’s political space should accommodate competing interests rather than revolve around one individual.
“The state has been captured by one man who sees himself as a deity and positions himself as a god,” he alleged.
The statement also criticised the emergence of two Ikwerre politicians as possible governorship contenders on the platforms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the development as part of an attempt to influence the political succession process in Rivers.
The allegations by Karka-Waadah come as political mobilisation intensifies across the state. Only days ago, a coalition supporting Pidomson inaugurated ward and unit executives across Ogoniland, signalling a push to build a grassroots structure for the ADC candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
Pidomson’s campaign has repeatedly framed the coming election as a contest over the right of Rivers voters to choose their governor without political imposition. He has also said his campaign is seeking support across ethnic and geographical lines in the state.
