Managing Director, Resort Savings and Loands Plc (Mortgage Bank), Mr Abimbola Olayinka (right) chatting with PHCCIMA 2nd Deputy President and Former Commissioner of Health Rivers State, Dr Emi Membere (left) during the Council meeting of PHCCIMA, recently.

Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it has zoned its governorship position to the South East Senatorial District.
The state Chairman of the party, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, who stated this in an interview yesterday at the party secretariat in Port Harcourt, noted that the Rivers South-East Senatorial District consists of both the upland and riverine communities of the state.
According to him,’’ the APC gubernatorial candidate can come from either the upland or the riverine. The Ogonis are from the upland while the Kalabaris, the Opobians, the Igbanis from Bonny and the Andonis are from the riverine area in the South East Senatorial District’’.
The APC boss said that the candidate will be determined when the party votes and that whoever emerges will be supported by all members of the party.
”Our party has zoned the governorship position to the South East Senatorial District comprising  the upland and the riverine areas. The candidate will be determined when the party eventually votes on who will be the party’s flag bearer in the 2015 gubernatorial election,” he said.
Although,     he  did not expatiate whether the voting will be through the process of primaries, “As a party we are talking among ourselves. We are consulting and we are confident that the party will provide a level playing field for interested aspirants to market their credentials before the leadership and members of the party. When the party votes, the candidate that emerges, whether upland or riverine, everybody will support the party’s candidate”.
Dr Ikanya however dismissed claims by the immediate past Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike and the Rivers State Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party,( PDP), Felix Obuah, that some foundation members of the PDP including the aggrieved group of 16 governors who have formed a coalition against Wike’s quest to succeed Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi are moles working for the interest of the APC.
According to him, “Who among the PDP members or governorship aspirant is Wike or Obuah referring to as moles in the PDP. What they fail to realize is that most of those they are calling moles today joined the PDP before most of them. Most of them were leaders in the PDP before Obuah became prominent, so he cannot now refer to them as moles. They are simply scared of the APC. I just think that I should not join issues with them”.
Reacting to comments made by the state chairman of the PDP, that the APC was afraid to name its governorship candidate because it was stupefied with the popularity of the party and the entry of some political heavy weights in the PDP into the race for the 2015 governorship, Dr. Ikanya said such statements were borne out of a false illusion that will be demystified in 2015.
The APC chairman described the just concluded PDP ward primaries in Rivers State as a “shame”. “Was there anything like a ward congress in this state? Did you see anybody queuing to vote or anybody being voted for? Did you see anybody anywhere? There is nobody in the PDP anymore in the state. Did you not see empty halls? I did not see any form of election anywhere on that day.”
The Tide learnt that the two front runners for the APC governorship ticket from the South East Senatorial District are Senator Magnus Abe and Hon Dakuku Peterside. While Abe is from Bera in Gokana Local Government Area, in the upland, Peterside is from Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, a riverine community.
Senator Abe is currently representing the south east in the senate while Peterside is currently representing Andoni /Opobo/Nkoro/ federal constituency in the House of Representatives.
Abe was a one time a Minority leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly and Commissioner for Information under the administration of Dr. Peter Odili. He was appointed Secretary to the State Government by Governor Chibuike Amaechi and served from 2007 to 20011.
Peterside was one time special Assistant (SA) to Governor Peter Odili on Student Affairs and later Special Projects. He was appointed  Commissioner for Works in Amaechi’s first term and in 2011, he was elected a Member of House of Representatives, Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency.