In an unsurprising development, several members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including those appointed as caretaker committee chairmen just three months ago by Governor Siminalayi Fubara, have emerged as chairmanship candidates for the Action People’s Party (APP) in the upcoming October 5 local government elections in Rivers State.
This shift comes amid the ongoing internal crisis within the PDP, which has led to a series of unexpected political maneuvers. Among the CTC chairmen now running as APP candidates are Chijioke Ihunwo of Obio/Akpor, Ezebunwo Ichemati of Port Harcourt, Brain Gokpa of Eleme, David Omereji of Emohua, John Ngubo-Otamiri of Etche, Promise Reginald of Omuma, and Mathew Dike of Tai.
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Additionally, Enyiada Cookey-Gam of Opobo/Nkoro and Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox of Bonny Local Government Areas, both former council chairmen from the previous administration who opposed a controversial six-month tenure extension, have also become APP candidates.
Other notable figures set to contest under the APP include Igwe Access, a former National President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), for Okirika LGA; Isaac Umejuru, a serving Commissioner for Urban Development, for Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni; Ms. Tonye Oniyide-Briggs, a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, for Akuku-Toru; and Dr. Harry Agiriye, a Permanent Secretary in the State Civil Service.
Eighteen political parties are reported to be fielding candidates for the election, including a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Mr. Emeka Beke, recently affirmed by the court as the party’s authentic chairman.
However, the PDP, which has maintained control of local government elections since 1999, appears poised to lose ground this time as the party has chosen to abstain from the polls. PDP State Chairman, Chukwuemeka Aaron, citing ongoing litigation, explained the party’s withdrawal, a stance also taken by a faction of the APC led by Tony Okocha.
Despite these developments, the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), headed by retired State High Court Judge Justice Adolphus Enebeli, is determined to proceed with the elections.
With election day nearing, political observers are keenly watching how the PDP’s absence and the defection of its members to rival parties could reshape the political landscape in Rivers State, potentially ending the party’s long-standing dominance in local government administration.
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