By Anayo Onukwugha |

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has said the riverine axis of the state deserves the 2023 governorship seat for handing over the seat to the upland axis in 1999.

Caretaker committee chairman of APC in the state, Barrister Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, disclosed this yesterday when leadership of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited him in Port Harcourt.

Ogbobula stated that the leader of party in the state and minister of Transportation, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has been consistent in his clamour for power shift to the riverine axis of the state since 2014.

He said: “That pronouncement shows character is in display. The man has been consistent in his clamour for a governor of riverine extraction. From 2014, he started saying that it will not be fair for the upland to continue as far as governorship is concerned in the state.

“There is need for other components of the state to occupy that Number One seat. Come to think of it, before power shifted to the upland, we were all here and saw what was happening. Those who were in-charge of affairs, by the time we returned to democracy, who could take everything were riverine people.

“We had Elder Marshall Harry and AK Dikibo, as well as Alabo Graham-Douglas. They were in-charge; if they had wanted to retain power, they would have done so. But they said no against all odds; going against even their own brother, Ebenezer Isokariari. They practically handed over power to Dr Odili. And here we are; we don’t want to cede to the riverine.”

Earlier in his remarks, chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the NUJ in Rivers State, Amaechi, called for genuine reconciliation amongst members of the party in the state.


Okonkwo said: “APC is one of our publics that we cannot ignore. We are glad that APC had resolved its internal crisis. There should be no victor, no vanquished.

“We plead with the caretaker committee of the party to ensure that beyond the Supreme Court judgment, you build APC in Rivers State to come up as a formidable opposition.

“The opposition in Rivers State is looking towards the APC for leadership. We are open to you as long as you are able to carry us along. We want you to maintain your open door policy towards journalists in the state.”

Yes, it should go to the riverine.

Yes this should happen

They need the agreement with the ikwerre and other upland cos they have over 70% of the voting strength in rivers state. APC should be careful or else they lose it again if they fail in this considerations.