By George OPARA
Palpable anxiety is looming large among the supporters of the Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, over what might be their political future with upcoming House of Assembly and gubernatorial mock elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Spear News recalls the APC had slated Wednesday May 20, for House of Assembly primary election and, Thursday May 21, for the primary guber poll.
The four governorship aspirants are incumbent governor Fubara, Ovunda Kingsley Chinda, Alabo Dakorinama George-Kelly and Tonye Cole.
Insider sources disclosed that the camp of the governor is under emotional pressure expecting to know the results of the screening committee whether the governor may or not contest the poll.
Also, stakeholders persistently query the circumstances that surrounded his screening when he appeared before the Abuja panel chaired by Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, the APC National Chairman.
But Spear News recalls the recent reports in the media that the governor stormed out of the screening venue appearing worried and unhappy to field questions from battery of awaiting reporters.
Worse still, Fubara’s loyalists and top supporters like Chijoke Ihunwo and Victor Oko-Jumbo, were among the 65 aspirants, uncleared for the House of Assembly primary elections by the committee.
Reliable sources told Spear News that even the 19 uncleared aspirants who later appealed against their disqualifications are yet, to know their fate.
But a top party source who pleaded anonymity said it was unlikely that the panel would clear the aspirants because of their failure to submit some requisite missing documents.
“Most of them promised to return with the documents, but they did not come back to submit them before the panel closed its sitting”.
He, however, said that the governorship panel may clear Fubara to contest in the primary election just to abate internal tension and controversies.
He said: “Even if he is cleared, he cannot win the primary election because he does not have control of the party structures in the state. The result of the primary election will embarrass him”.
Political watchers said the primary election would be a fierce contest between Chinda and George-Kelly, who are members of the Wike’s Rainbow Coalition designed to wrest power from Fubara.
A top member of the coalition said Cole’s link with former Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi had put him out of the APC consideration..
It would be recalled that the Rainbow Coalition has dominated the Rivers APC in the just concluded primary elections conducted by the party.
In the House of Representatives primary elections, the party cleared 21 aspirants and disqualified four others linked to the camp of the governor.
All the candidates who won the APC tickets in the House of Representatives and Senate are members of the Wike’s coalition.
Spear News recalls that the coalition aspirants like Felix Obuah, Rivers West; Allwell Onyesoh, Rivers East and Osarosaka Ebenezer, Rivers Southeast won the primaries by consensus while sitting Senators like Ipalibo Banigo; Ojukaiye Flag-Amachree, Tein Jack-Rich, Chief Tammy Danagogo, and Chief Barry Mwara who are non-coalition members failed woefully in the contest.
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