When former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi threw up Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside for the governorship race in 2015, many dreamt that history was going to be made.
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When former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi threw up Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside for the governorship race in 2015, many dreamt that history was going to be made.
Sadly, it was not to be and that dream crashed and had since palled into history. Dakuku and the APC were stopped by the Supreme Court. If that venture had worked out, Dakuku would have become the first Ibani son and indeed Rivers South Easterner to occupy the Rivers Brick House.
But eight years after, history beckons, not just on the Rivers South East Senatorial District, but to the Igbani nation and in particular, the ancient Opobo kingdom where Dakuku also comes from. What Rotimi Amaechi could not accomplish in 2015, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike is set do come Saturday, March 11, 2023.
And the question begs: Why this optimism? Let me explain.
First and foremost, in a democratic dispensation, the choice of electing a governor lies in the hands of Rivers people. They chose Nyesom Wike in 2015.
Amaechi and Dakuku chased him to the Supreme Court. But the Apex court gave its judgment and affirmed Wike as the choice of Rivers people.
The Rivers people again chose Nyesom Wike in 2019 when he sought re-election. On May 29, 2023, Wike would serve out on May 29, 2023, and all indices indicate he would hand over to the choice of Rivers people – candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Amaopusenibo Siminialayi Fubara.
Why would the PDP win, in a contest that has Architect Tonye Cole of the APC; Sen. Magnus Abe of the SDP; Mrs. Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party (LP); Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord party, Dawari George of Action Alliance and Leyii Kwanee of Zenith Party, among others? Again, let me explain.
Like earlier pointed out, Rivers State has three Senatorial Districts – Rivers West, Rivers East and Rivers South East. Rivers East and Rivers West have had their own fair share of having sway at the Brick House.
They have both produced Sir (Dr.) Peter Odili (Rivers West); Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers East) and incumbent Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (Rivers East). With Rivers South East missing from this equation, victory for PDP’s Sim Fubara is just fair and equitable.
Gleaned from another perspective, the question is: has incumbent governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike done well? The answer is capital YES! The scorecard is a plus for Sim Fubara. He is coming from an advantaged background.
Sim Fubara’s candidacy satisfied both the Upland and Riverine components in Rivers State. The view among the Riveriners is that they have not produced a governor in the new Rivers State. Sim Fubara is from Opobo and Opobo is Riverine. Sim is Ijaw and Opobo is Ijaw.
Sim hails from the Rivers South East and the zone is yet to produce Governor. This also satisfies the Rivers South East who, based on their agitation, will vote massively for Sim and the PDP. Sim also has a strong point as the only candidate who has not offended any one. He is gentle, charismatic, peaceful, humble and a careful talker who chooses his speech.
Rivers people are also yearning for a younger person to succeed Governor Wike. Sim is young, youthful and comes from a low background. In fact, his Ibani name translated in English means ‘Poor man has given birth to a Rich man’.
As a young man, Sir Siminalayi Fubara would relate freely with the youths from across the state. More so, as an accomplished civil servant, Fubara is also in a vintage position to address the genuine concerns of serving and retired civil servants in Rivers State. Sir Fubara is generally accepted by majority of Rivers people
Now let’s look at the candidacy of Sim’s challengers beginning with Sen. Magnus Abe and the SDP. He is Ogoni and also hails from the Rivers South East Senatorial District. He is a product of the APC which is currently balkanized into factions.
We have the Amaechi faction; Dawari faction; Tonye Cole faction and Tony Okocha faction, to mention but four. Magnus Abe broke away from the APC, a development that caused them the 2019 governorship election in the state. Consequently, the hardcore APC devotees and other Rivers people are lying in wait for payback! Abe is not accepted by majority of Rivers people.
Let’s look at the APC guber candidate, Arc. Tonye Cole. Despite the fact that many Rivers people see him as a stranger and opportunist who is only interested in governorship of the state, the turbine scandal is still, dangerously hanging on his throat!
There are yet other governorship candidates, though possessing the credentials of Ijaw and Riverine, they pose little or no threats to Sim Fubara. They include Tekena Iyagba of Booth Party, Soboma Jackrich of NRM, Danagogo Wenike-Briggs of YPP and Victor Fingesi of ADP, among others.
Weighing the chances of these governorship candidates against Sir Siminialayi Fubara, the pendulum clearly tilts towards a landslide for the PDP candidate.
I stumbled into a campaign message by a PDP stalwart and Sim Fubara’s kinsman, BROWN ISOBONYE EBENEZER). He is one of the finest brains in Opobo Kingdom and by extension, Rivers State. His letter reads:
“I humbly appeal that you do cast your vote for my Principal and Brother – Amaopusenibo Siminalayi Joseph Fubara (Ksc) for Governor and the PDP House Of Assembly Candidate from your Constituency.
SIM is young, competent, God fearing and humble. His service career which spanned a total of 18 years from being a classroom teacher in 2003 at Comprehensive High School, Alese Eleme to the pinnacle of his career as an Accountant General Of Rivers State in 2020.
SIM will perform and most importantly consolidate on the gains of this present administration in Rivers State.
By God’s grace, with your vote(s) and support, Sim Fubara will be the first from Rivers South East Senatorial District and the first Ijaw Ibani son to occupy the brick House from May 29th 2023.
His Name is Siminalayi and in Ibani language it means: “Poor man has given birth to a rich man”.