Ogundu Chinda, a loyalist of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is set to emerge the Rivers State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in today’s primary election.
Chinda, who is also a kinsman of the FCT Minister, is currently in the National Assembly lawmaker representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency.
This development is coming against the backdrop of the the withdrawal of the incumbent Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.
Fubara, in a statement he signed on Wednesday, said his decision to withdraw from the governorship race was a commitment to peace in the state.
Shortly after Fubara’s withdrawal, George-Kelly Alabo also stepped aside from the gubernatorial contest in APC.
Earlier, the APC’s flag bearer in the 2023 general elections, Tonye Cole, announced his withdrawal from the 2027 governorship race.
Fubara, Cole, and Alabo’s withdrawal ahead of today’s APC governorship primaries gives Chinda the edge to clinch the ruling party’s governorship ticket in Rivers State.
Recall that Wike, former governor of the state, stormed Port Harcourt ahead of the APC governorship primaries.
The development means Fubara will not be re-elected as Rivers Governor in 2027.
Fubara and Wike have been at loggerheads despite several peace deals.
Reacting to the development, human rights lawyer, Chetam Nwala, alleged that the governor was never genuinely interested in the race.
“He has never been in the race. He was pretending all along, as he has always done,” Nwala said.
