From Tony John, Port Harcourt

The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Atiku National Mandate Group, Rivers State chapters, have called on the people to vote the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Siminialaye Fubara.

The two groups, at separate media briefings in Port Harcourt yesterday, endorsed Fubara  and expressed hope in the capacity of PDP to win the poll.

The position of IPAC is contained in a 16-point communique read by the  Secretary, Omangima Harry in the presence of other members of the council.

He said the position was predicated on the need for equity, fairness, justice, and balance. He maintained that in the governance of the state, out of the three senatorial districts, it is only the Rivers South East that has not produced a governor since 1999.

“It must be emphasised that throughout the history of this great and outstanding state, the Rivers West district has produced the governor once in Sir Peter Odili. The Rivers East District has produced the governor twice (Rotimi Amaechi, and Nyesom Wike) while the district of Rivers South East has never had this opportunity. This inequitable unfairness is not justifiable and creates a negative imbalance in our sociopolitical space.

“The opportunity presents itself on the 11th of March 2023  to institute a sustainable narrative of fairness, balance and equity, by inclining towards a region of the state that has never  in the state’s history, produced an individual for the top office of the state.

“This region is the South East senatorial district. Fortuitously, a candidate of Riverine stock from the South East senatorial district in the person of Sir. Siminialayi Fubara is in the race.

“As noble citizens of the state, we must be our brothers’ keeper. We must promote and protect that sense of inclusion in the affairs of the state. Never must we be clouded by the false and feeble premise that one region is superior to another. That one brother is more entitled than another. That the strength in one area, somehow diminishes the authenticity of another area.

“A Rivers citizen from the riverine area, and from the Rivers South East district, who has their developmental roots in the state, and one who is fundamentally connected to their people in the riverine area of the South East senatorial district is what is fair, equitable and just at this juncture of our state’s history, because it ensures a much needed balance in the political and social structure of our dear state. Supporting the candidacy of Siminialayi Fubara for governor of our dear State resonates with the values of equity, fairness, justice and balance.”

IPAC, therefore, urged the citizens of the state to come out en mass, as they did on February 25, presidential and National Assembly elections  and cast their votes for a  riverine candidate from the South East senatorial district.

“The adherence by the electorate to the ‘non-partisan’ and ‘non-political’ plea of this advisory council to support the mandate of a southern candidate in the polls, showed that the need for justice, fairness, equity and balance, remain primary ingredients for the social and national cohesion of our dear nation Nigeria, and a paramount desire resident in the fore of the minds of our citizens.”

Similarly, secretary of Atiku Abubakar’s group, Jude Nwibie, said the group has existed since 2019 to promote the ambition of the presidential candidate.

Nwibie stated: “The Atiku National Mandate Group, until last night (Tuesday) was supporting Atiku Abubakar but, had the signal to support someone else other than Siminialaye Fubara. We took the decision only last night to throw our weight behind Siminialaye Fubara.  We are all PDP members.

“We have made up our minds; we have structures at the unit level with five canvassers at each unit. We have executive officers at ward level and state officials. We have agreed to throw our weight behind Siminialaye Fubara for governorship of Rivers State. Governor Nyesom Wike has promised to reintegrate us into the party system and the party’s state Chairman, Desmond Akawor, has also promised to reintegrate us into the mainstream of the party’s politics.”

He disclosed that with the structure the group has established, the governorship candidate is assured of victory at the poll.