As May 23, 2015 council elections come closer, four (4) aspirants have indicated interest to gun for the chairmanship seat in the Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.
Those who are so far declared their intention for the plum job are Hon. (Mrs.) Joeba West (Commissioner for Women Affairs), Daere Samuel Horsfall (LGA Chairman APC), Hon. Awongo Ikalama (Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly) and Hon. Orokomiebia J.J. Braide.
The four (4) contenders to the chairmanship seat are all strong, and grassrots politicians, hence it is difficult to predict who among them will at the end emerge as the elected chairman of the Asari-Toru Local Government Area.
The four (4) aspirants are eyeing the council seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Thus, through intense assessment and investigation, our political correspondent dissected their political popularity and peeped into each of the aspirants’ chances of winning the council polls come May 23, 2015.
Our Correspondent came out with the following findings
HON. (MRS.) JOEBA WEST: She is currently the Commissioner in charge of the Ministry of Women Affairs. She was one time a councilor, council secretary and a former caretaker committee chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area.
She gave tough time to the members of the People Democratic Party in Ward (9) during the just concluded March 28, 2015 presidential election. Hon (Mrs.) Joeba West is a woman of substance, but her limitation is that her political tentacles do not spread beyond the Ward 9.
- DAERE SAMUEL HORSFALL: He is the Chairman of the Asari-Toru LGA chapter of the All Progressives Congress. Before his present position as the Asalga chairman of the APC, he was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman of the LGA. He is a close associate to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who had politically empowered him. He is a political chameleon. Nobody knows, the Ward he is operating. Some see him as a member of Ward 11, while others say, he hails from Ward 7.
Inspite his ability to manage party affairs he lacks capability to control followers. With this the possibility of becoming a council chairman is slim.
HON. AWONGO IKALAMA: Erstwhile Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs under Celestine Omehia’s administration. He also served as a caretaker committee chairman of Asari-Toru LGA. Currently, Hon. Ikalama is the Chief of Staff in the office of the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly. He is a strong politician, an astute administrator and a political scientist. He has bright chances of winning the polls, but lacks fellowership, hence his political support is limited to Ward 7 in the area.
HON. OROKOMIEBIA J.J. BRIADE: He was a former councilor representing ward 8 in the Asalga legislative council. In 2007 he contested for the chairmanship seat, but lost to Hon. Ojukaye Flag Amachree.
Hon. Braide is a grassroots mobilizer and a friend to Gov. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. He is a household name and his political cloud spreads across the entire LGA. He has every chance to defeat other contestants, but the APC hierarchy in the LGA will not want him to actualize his ambition. ###
