Rivers State Labour Party Dumps Governorship Candidate, Adopts Governor Wike’s PDP Candidate, Fubara

The Labour Party Chairman in the state, Dienye Pepple in the company of some local government party chairmen at a meeting on Tuesday said they were supporting a young and vibrant candidate who is from the South-East Senatorial District that had not produced a governor in the state.

The Rivers State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has dumped its governorship candidate in the state, Beatrice Itubo, adopted and endorsed the candidate of the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Siminialayi Fubara.

This is coming four days to the March 11 governorship and state assemblies’ elections.

The Labour Party Chairman in the state, Dienye Pepple in the company of some local government party chairmen at a meeting on Tuesday said they were supporting a young and vibrant candidate who is from the South-East Senatorial District that had not produced a governor in the state.

However, the party leaders in the state asked LP supporters to vote for the LP State House of Assembly candidates in the coming elections, saying that their decision was in line with the values of equity, fairness and justice which propelled them to support the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

In a communique signed by the state chairman, Dienye Pepple, Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), Prince Favour F. Reuben and the Publicity Secretary, Dr. Amadi Solomon, the Rivers State chapter of the Labour Party stated that “On the 25th of February 2023, our Nation Nigeria held its electoral polls for its 7th General Electoral “Presidential and National Assembly’ exercise since the advent of our democracy in 1999.”

The communique further read, “It was a remarkable exercise that marked a referendum on varied subjects such as Leadership, Political Institutions, our Human Values as a nation and particularly the Power of the Nigerian People’s ideas and ideologies.

“Our Labour Party and its most coruscating candidate till date-Mr. Peter Obi, put up a robust and most impressive representation of ‘people power’ not seen in recent Nigerian History.

“The Labour Party Sincerely Thanks her teeming members, and apparent supporters drawn from other political parties, for the electoral buoyancy extended to her candidates amidst the most vibrant electoral outing of the Party ever! The Party’s gratitude to her members is a sentiment that verbalisation cannot aptly capture.

“While our leader heads to the courts to resolve the issues that concern the outcome of the polls, we must not lose sight of the opportunity to once again demonstrate the values that define him, define us as a People, and define our noble party. The values of Equity, Fairness, Justice, and Balance.

“In the past few days, the party in the state was hit by a major shock of an unknown person surfacing and claiming to be our gubernatorial candidate, coupled with the news making rounds on social media that our gubernatorial candidate Comrade Mrs Beatrice Itubo has stepped down and adopted the APC candidate.

“In order for us not to remain in the dark, the party in line with the 23 LGAs chairmen has decided to support a credible candidate irrespective of the party filiation, a candidate who must be young and vibrant and must hail from the senatorial district that haven’t produced a governor before in the state.

“All through the history of this great and outstanding State, the Rivers West district has produced the Governor once in person of Sir. (Dr.) Peter Odill. The Rivers East District has produced the Governor thrice, while the district of Rivers South East has never had this opportunity, thereby flouting and negating the values of Equity, Fairness, Justice, and Balance. Values that are both foundational and intrinsic to the Labour Party.

“As Labour Party Members, and as Obidient adherents to the aforementioned values, we must come out and support a region that has never in the history of the state produced a Governor.

“Voting a Riverine candidate in the person of ‘Sir. Siminialayi Joseph Fubara from the South East Senatorial district of the State during the upcoming gubernatorial polls ensures that the Labour Party and her members are defenders and ambassadors of the values that have set her and the Obidient Movement apart from all other parties.

“We urge all Labour Party members, supporters and our Obidient team to come out in their numbers on Saturday 11th March 2023 to vote Sir. Siminialayi Joseph Fubara from the South East senatorial District of Rivers State for Governor, and vote all other Labour Party Candidates for State House of Assembly in their various constituencies.

“The Labour Party Considers this decision both fundamental and intrinsic to the stability, progress and growth of Rivers State and by intractable extension- Nigeria.

“This decision that should be attained through the ballot in a fair, free and credible process will maintain and strengthen the fact that Rivers State is a state of peace and justice.

“The Labour Party therefore, urges all Obidients and Party faithful, to come out en-masse to vote without fear for a candidate of Riverine extraction from the Rivers South East Zone, in an exercise that will be reflective of freedom, equity, justice, fairness and balance.”