Ezenwo Nyesom Wike

INEC declared Nyesom Wike winner of Rivers State governorship polls on Wednesday, 3rd April 2019, after suspending the process for some days.. Wike took his oath of office on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt as he commences his second term. In his address, he promised to put Rivers state first.

In line with his plans for educational reform, Nysome Wike declared public primary and secondary education free. He disclosed this on Monday, June 24, 2019, in a meeting at the government house, Port Harcourt. This was joined with complaints and appreciation; The latter from parents and former Principals and headmasters in the state. However, the Government of Wike held his ground amidst the perpetual demur till they all dissolved.

In 2019, Wike through the State Ministry of Education announced free registration for participating locals of the state in the annual JAMB examination.

On May 13, 2015, the Election Tribunal for Rivers State, sitting in Abuja, commenced the hearing on the election of Wike. Dr Dakuku Peterside of the APC was asking 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.

The River State governorship election tribunal nullified the election of Wike on October 24, 2015. The election tribunal ordered governorship election rerun in Rivers State within 90 days immediately after the day of judgment. Wike said he would appeal the ruling of the tribunal.

The Election Tribunal was informed that the Independent National Electoral Commission in Rivers awarded Wike votes almost five times higher than the actual, authentic total number of voters accredited with card readers and Permanent Voter Cards which was 292, 878, which was the total number of accredited voters for the April 11, 2015 gubernatorial election in Rivers. The result as declared by the Returning Officer for Rivers Stat, Osasere Orumwense on April 13, 2015 stated that Wike was awarded 1,029,102 votes, thus winning the election.

The INEC document was signed by Mr. Ibrahim Bawa, the acting director in charge of INEC Legal Unit and Abimbola Oladunjoye, head of unit, Data Management, of the INEC's Information Communication Territory Department. The commission's central server captured all actual validated and authenticated votes for the Rivers State elections on April 11, 2015, making fraud by manual accreditation impossible.

In that election, only those votes captured by the central servers from the PVC-SCR are deemed accredited and valid; manual accreditation is not allowed for governorship elections. The Court of Appeal has however ruled in the case of Agbaje vs Ambode that the non use of card readers is not a ground to nullify an election. The River State governorship election tribunal nullified the election of Wike on October 24, 2015. The election tribunal ordered governorship election rerun in Rivers State within 90 days immediately after the day of judgment generating uproar within the country as to alleged partisanship and corruption within the judiciary.

Wike 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.

Ezenwo Nyesom Wike CON (born 13 March 1963), also known variously as Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike or Nyesom Wike 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.