Political leaders representing the seventeen wards of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State have expressed unwavering support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Edison Ehie amidst the current political landscape in the state.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including former Council Chairman Solomon Abel-Eke and State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Chijioke Ihunwo, have advised prominent figures like FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and state lawmaker Martin Amaewhule to de-escalate tensions for the stability of the political environment.
The group, during a meeting, resolved to launch grassroots awareness campaigns for fresh elections into the two state assembly seats in the area. They asserted that the defection of Wike and Amaewhule from the PDP to the APC rendered their previous elections null and void.
Chijioke Ihunwo, as the State Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, presented the group’s communique at a media briefing. The statement condemned verbal attacks and alleged physical confrontations against Governor Fubara in October. Ihunwo urged the police to uphold professionalism and neutrality in handling the ongoing political crisis.
Solomon Abel-Eke, the immediate past Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, underscored the importance of garnering support for a governor from another ethnic group, akin to the solidarity previously extended to Nyesom Wike. Abel-Eke emphasized that the people of Obio/Akpor are characterized by a lack of greed and announced plans for community sensitization campaigns to mobilize grassroots support for Governor Fubara. This decision garnered endorsement from traditional rulers, youths, and women leaders in the area.