Gubernatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in Rivers State, Prince Ugo Beke, has said the recent appointment of 200,000 aides by Governor Nyesom Wike would not give the ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP victory in the state.
The Ikwerre-born politician, who also downplayed clamour for zoning of governorship seat to the riverine areas of Rivers, said the state needs the best man for the job, assuring that he would be governor for all Riverians without discrimination.
Insisting that he is the best candidate in terms of experience, capacity, and acceptability among the grassroots, Beke said with the BI-modal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, that votes will count and riggers will be frustrated in the 2023 polls.
“As an Ikwere man, with my antecedents, the demographics will favour me,” he said, noting that Ikwerre accounts for about 60 per cent of Rivers State’s voting population.
Calling for the jettisoning of zoning, he said that the principle of Federal Character had not helped Nigeria to get to the dream of her founding fathers.
Beke, a merchant banker and financial consultant, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos, was reacting to the issue of zoning in Rivers and why another Ikwere man should be part of the succession stints of Peter Odili after Rotimi Amechi and Nyesom Wike, who are from Ikwerre, as governors.
Beke, who said he never believed in zoning and the federal character principle, said the principle should not be encouraged in the interest of national unity, economic growth and development.
The Federal character principle was introduced by the Nigerian government to ensure equitable representation as well as prevent the dominance of persons from a few states, religious ethnic groups or regions in the governance of the country and public service.
