A group under the aegis of Concerned Ogoni Leaders has urged Ogoni political leaders to work together to have the next Rivers State governor come from the land.
The Convener of the group, Dr. Lelonu Nwibubasa, made the call yesterday in a meeting held in Port Harcourt.
Nwibubasa, who was a former state Commissioner for Empowerment and Employment Generation, said it was the constitutional right of every Rivers citizen to vie for the office of the governor of the state irrespective of his ethnicity.
He noted that: “The state Governor, Nyesom Wike, advised political leaders in the state during our visit to him on his birthday that they should declare their interest to contest for the office of the state governor in 2023, as democrat cannot be expected to impose any candidate base on ethnic consideration on others.
“Our governor has demonstrated palpable and verifiable evidence of productive friendship and love for the Ogoni people like no other; the landmark project of the construction of the dualised Saakpenwa Bori Kono Road is a testament amid plethora of others.
“Our duty, therefore, as patriotic Ogoni people is to take our best products to the political arena of choice, rally the support of others and advance compelling reasons for these leaders to be given the chance to maintain and promote the enduring legacies of Wike.
“Our political leaders who have showed strong interest in contesting in the 2023 governorship election are men of character and courage; let us give them our support; let all men that are available transmit their abilities to the one that is capable, only then shall we not be politically vulnerable in 2023.”
