As the political agitations of who occupies Brick House on May 29th, 2015 gets hotter, more groups are still expressing their anger and dissatisfaction over the conduct of the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that produced the former Minister of State for Education, Chief Barr. Nyesom Wike as the flagbearer of PDP.
In a press release made available on last week at the Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt to journalists entitled “The inalienable position of the Kalabari/Ijaw on the 2015 governorship flagbearer of the major political parties, APC and PDP in Rivers State”. The latest is coming from the Kalabari/Ijaw ethnic nationality of riverine part of Rivers State, that criticized in the strongest terms, what it described as the succession of an Ikwerre man by another one.
The group who disclosed this through their leader, Chief Broadfield Michael Jack noted that the major two political parties in the state refused to adhere to the 1999 power sharing agreement between the upland and the riverine.
The statement further argued that it was the power sharing agreement that produced Dr. Peter Odili when the riverine as the then governor of the state, even when the riverine part of the state had all it takes to retain power and the governor to themselves.
The ethnic group led by prominent traditional rulers, chief and elders opposed the non-election of their own sons and daughters in the governorship race by both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) explaining that a circumstance which produced yet another Ikwerre governor was unacceptable to them, but have made reasonable decision to support and vote for the APC candidate, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside in the governorship election who is an Ibani/Ijaw person from Opobo/Nkoro LGA which raise hope for others like the Eugenis, Etches, Ekpeyes, Ogonis, and the Ndokis etc.
The Kalabari/Ijaw stated that despite the fact that a core Kalabari/Ijaw did not come out of the APC however, adhered to the principle of upland/rivers rotation and the principle of senatorial zoning.
Asked why 18 aspirants from Kalabari contested an election without picking a consensus candidate, Chief Dr. Broadfield said that the Kalabari did not want to disenfranchise anybody.
They maintained that in keeping with the spirit of fairness and equity, the Kalabari/Ijaw nationality has assisted the Ndoni ethnic group in 1999 and the Ikwerres in 2007 elections. They also sought for the creation of a Rivers – Ijaw State for an overall emancipation.
They also seek for the creation of a Rivers/Ijaw state for an overall emancipation. ###
