By Abiola Olawale
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has reportedly instructed all 23 local government caretaker chairmen in the state to contest the forthcoming local government elections under the platform of the All People’s Party (APP).
According to reports emerging on Wednesday, the governor gave the 23 caretaker committee chairmen the nod to contest the LG elections under the APP in the wake of his battle with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
An insider source who spoke with the press about the purported development said it is part of the plan of Fubara to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for APP.
The source said the power struggle has culminated in Fubara reportedly opting to back the APP, a move many see as a bid to counter Wike’s dominance in the state.
It would be recalled that Fubara and Wike had been battling over the control of the PDP over the past year.
The situation took another turn as Wike appears to have consolidated his position amidst the political turmoil affecting the Rivers state chapter of the PDP as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party purportedly gave its approval to the state congresses conducted under his leadership.
This decision was said to have been made during a meeting of the NWC presided over by the acting National Chairman Umar Damagum, at the party’s national headquarters.
