Ex-Militant Eyes Rivers Governorship …Warns PDP Against Imposition

An ex-militant and the
leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF), Mr Ateke Tom has declared his intention to run for the Rivers State governorship  election next year, under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ateke Tom made the declaration on Wednesday at Okochiri in Okrika Local Government Area of the State.
The ex-militant said the decision to  run for the state governorship was to yield to the calls of Rivers people who see him as the only transparent  person who can give the state a transparent and credible leadership in 2015.
He promised to make positive changes in the state if elected as governor  of  the state.
Ateke who spoke in ‘Pidgin English’ said, “If my people say, make I come  run for governor, who am I to say no, I no go fit say no because my people look everybody finish and say make I come out for governorship and say na me fit take care of them.
“Them dey talk about light everyday, this thing no bi new story, better water self na wahala, school na wahala, employment  and so many things including hospitals.
“If I go for them, they go achieve so many things, people will enter there well wells, na the thing weh make people they call me, because they know say I go fit do, at least one year, things go change for the people in the state.”
Ateke, however, warned the leadership of the PDP to ensure a level playing ground during the party’s gubernatorial primaries  in the state.
According to him, any imposition of candidate on the people of  the state by the  party  would be aggressively resisted in the state.
It would be recalled that, Ateke had recently opposed the candidature of the Supervising Minister of Education, Mr Nyesome Wike and any other candidate outside the Ijaw ethnic nationality in he state.
Meanwhile, some women of Ijaw extraction in the state have reiterated their support for Ateke’s gubernational ambition.
The leader and spokesperson of the women group, Mrs Racheal Adasi who made this known recently in Port Harcourt, said Ateke had the interest of Rivers people at heart, despite what had happened in the past

Enoch Epelle