2015: Group Faults Ogoni Governorship Agenda

A frontline socio-po
litical group in the campaign for the zoning of governorship of Rivers State in 2015 to the Rivers South East zone, the Rivers South-East Renaissance Movement (RISERM)  has faulted the call by the Ogoni Leadership Forum (OLF) that all political parties should pick their governorship candidates from Ogoni ethnic group.
RISERM in a statement issued yesterday and made available to The Tide, expressed dissatisfaction over persistent call  by OLF for only Ogoni governorship candidate  in 2015, describing the call as myopic, self-centered, parochial and unachievable.
The statement signed by  the  RISERM Project Coordinator, Barrister  Dornu Barida Nwinang, said that  in a bid to have political emancipation, all ethnic groups in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District must come together and give support to the 2015 governorship project.
Nwinang  noted that  some senatorial districts in other States that have not produced governors of their States are also  canvassing for governorship of their various States as it was in Akwa Ibom, Delta and Cross River States.
According to him, “no
‘’ Cross River State, just like Rivers State, is faced with similar scenario and the over 16 ethnic groups in Cross River North Senatorial District is equally canvassing for the governorship of Cross River State. No serious political party will zone its governorship candidate to an ethnic group found in only three local government areas except these few individuals under the aegis of Ogoni Leadership Forum are claiming deliberate ignorance of this political reality’’.
He said the historical practice of political parties in the current political dispensation in the State will not help the course of the Ogoni Leadership Forum.
Calling on all the political parties in the state and of the  people of Rivers South –East to disregard any singular agitation based on ethnic sentiment that cannot withstand serious political horse-trading, the group urged for the zoning governorship tickets to Rivers South-East Senatorial District which of Ogoni is part.
The group boasted that the Senatorial District is capable of producing credible, acceptable and well prepared Governorship candidates from the zone in 2015.

Governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the October 11 governorship by-election in Adamawa State, Mr. Yakubu Tsalla (left), displaying his intent and nomination forms during his declaration at the APC Secretariat in Yola, recently. Photo: NAN