Rivers: How Orbih fought for Wike against Amaechi

Dan Orbih built his political reputation battling Adams Oshiomhole in Edo State, but one of his most consequential interventions unfolded across the state line in Rivers. His role in a disputed PDP congress later became part of the rupture between Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi.

The dispute began at the Rivers State PDP congress on March 17, 2012. Amaechi was governor and the undisputed leader of the state’s PDP establishment. His ally, Godspower Ake, emerged as chairman at the congress held at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt. Orbih, then Edo State PDP chairman, led the panel that conducted the gathering.

By 2013, Wike and Amaechi had become political enemies. Wike had previously served as Amaechi’s chief of staff and had helped him during the 2007 Rivers governorship battle. He later became minister of state for education under President Goodluck Jonathan. As Amaechi’s relationship with the Jonathan presidency deteriorated, Wike emerged as his strongest opponent inside Rivers.

Amaechi controlled the party machinery, including Government House, most local government chairmen and a large majority of PDP legislators. Wike therefore needed control of the party structure to challenge his former political ally. That made the congress dispute decisive.

Felix Obuah and Walter Opuene went to court, arguing that they, rather than Ake and his secretary, had been validly elected chairman and secretary. In an affidavit, Orbih disputed the result Ake presented. Justice Ishaq Bello of an Abuja High Court accepted Orbih’s deposition that Ake’s result had not come from the congress conducted by Orbih. His evidence supported the result presented by Obuah, creating a politically explosive setback for the Amaechi camp, which challenged Orbih’s account and said video evidence existed.