Ex-envoy backs APP Rivers LG poll

Rivers State APP Chairman, Sunny Wokekoro, middle with other party faithful, presenting flag to a chairmanship candidate for the October 5 local government elections during a senatorial campaign rally in Bori, Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State

Former Nigerian ambassador to the Netherlands, Oji Ngofa, has backed the Action Peoples Party to make a difference in Rivers State ahead of the October 5 local government elections in the state.

Ngofa said on Tuesday this while speaking at the APP Rivers South-East senatorial district campaign held in Bori, headquarters of Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and ally to the former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, said the APP has what it takes to provide good governance at the grassroots and liberate the people of the state.

Ngofa, an indigene of Eleme, also said he was at the event to show solidarity with the party to bring positive change to the third tier of government, even as he pledged his support and those of his kinsmen to the administration of the state governor, Siminalayi Fubara.

He stated, “We have come to make a statement of support for Rivers State and to say that your platform, APP, is the platform for the liberation of Rivers State and to recover our state from political pests and the years the locusts have eaten.

“And we have come to identify with you. The people of Eleme are fully with you and we have established not too long ago that any interest against you and any interest against the governor of Rivers State, any gathering that is illegal and antithetical to the interest of the Ogoni people will not hold in Eleme.”

State chairman of the APP, Sunny Wokekoro, said the party is poised to usher in a new Rivers State, pointing out that youths and women in the state will be given a pride of place in the scheme of things.

Addressing thousands of party supporters, Wokekoro frowned against godfatherism in politics, saying the era when only one man decides the destiny of others is over, as the state has been liberated.

He assured the party’s candidates for the forthcoming council polls if the support of the party, describing them as people who he can vouch for to listen to the yearnings of the people in the grassroots and deliver democratic dividends.

He enthused, “Rivers people are united over one thing, liberation of Rivers State. We say and we declare that from this day, affliction shall not rise a second time.

“Therefore on this liberation that all of us have unanimously agreed upon, we have carefully, through the party’s electoral process given you councillors who would be very close to you; councillors who would listen to your yearnings and council chairmen who we would hold accountable and would do those things that will bring development to you people.

“We have carefully selected them and we present those chairmanship candidates with flags to tell you that these are the people who are going to represent you.

“I will urge all of you to come out on the 5th of October, please wake up early, get your voter cards the night before, take along food, go to your voting point, remain there, cast your votes, remain there and ensure that your vote counts.”

On his part, the National Legal Adviser of the party, Henry Odili, urged supporters of the party to remain steadfast as the party is determined to liberate the state from those he describe as ‘evil men.’

Odili stated, “My message is for you to be steadfast. The message is for you to come out on the 5th of October to support APP for the total liberation of Rivers State.

“We have already started the movement and what we are going to do on the 5th of October is going to crystalize that movement. Once we are able to liberate Rivers State from the hands of one man, all of you here will be happy you did.”

South-South PUNCH correspondent who covered the event reports that the highlight was the presentation of the APP flags to the various chairmanship candidates in the eight local government areas that make up the Rivers South-East senatorial district – Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Oyigbo, Opobo/Nkoro, Bonny and Andoni.