Labour Party has a governorship candidate and candidates for both state House of Assembly and National Assembly in Rivers State.
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has tacitly endorsed the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Simi Fubara, for the 2023 general elections in what appears to be reciprocity for his endorsement by Governor Nyesom Wike.
Obi reportedly adopted the PDP governorship candidate when he addressed him as the incoming Governor of Rivers State on Thursday while commissioning a project executed by Governor Wike.
Labour Party has a governorship candidate and candidates for both state House of Assembly and National Assembly in Rivers State.
SaharaReporters reliably gathered that adopting PDP governorship candidate for the state may be one of the conditions for the Wike-led G-5 Governors of the PDP that are having running battle with the national chairman of the party, Senator Iyiochia Ayu, and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to deliver his presidential ambition.
The governors had called on Ayu to step down for a southerner based on previous commitment.
With Ayu’s insistence on continuing as Chairman, the governors withdrew their support for the PDP presidential candidate.
Although SaharaReporters could not independently ascertain whether there is any such agreement, it was learnt that Obi even promised to mandate all the Labour party candidates in the state to step down for PDP candidates in other electoral positions.
Sources told SaharaReporters that Peter Obi’s supporters in Rivers State, however, disapproved of his adoption of Wike’s candidate who was allegedly wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Recall that Peter Obi had while speaking recently in Makurdi, the Benue State capital during a visit to Governor Ortom said he and the aggrieved PDP governors had a common interest in finding a better Nigeria.
“The only deal I have with them is that they are passionate about Nigeria,” Obi said.
The Labour Party candidate had several times met with Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state who fell out with the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The meetings had fueled speculations that the governors would be working to deliver the former Anambra State Governor in the forthcoming February election.
SaharaReporters had also reported that the PDP Governorship candidate, Fubara was declared wanted recently by the EFCC for alleged fraud and embezzlement.
How Obi is going to manage the boarding and backlashes with his supporters in Rivers State remains to be seen.