A former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, has won the Rivers State governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Wike won the primary election conducted at Community Secondary School, Nkpolu in with a total of 1,083 votes.
Dumbari Dimkpa came a distant second with 21 votes. West Ibinabo got three votes while Emmanuel Georgewill and Lee Maeba got one vote each.
Seventeen out of the 24 governorship aspirants boycotted the exercise.
The primary was conducted amidst heavy security presence as operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security and Special Anti-Robbery Squad were on the ground to ensure the security of lives and property.
A former local government chairman and chief of staff to Governor Chibuike Amaechi, Wike is believed to be President Goodluck Jonathan’s preferred candidate.
In his acceptance speech shortly after he was declared winner, Wike promised he will wrestle the state back from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to which Amaechi defected after dumping the PDP in 2013.
