LG Polls: APC Candidates Emerge …We Won’t Leave APC- Chuku

The immediate past Commissioner for Local Government Affairs in Rivers State, Hon Samuel Eyiba, was among the 22 persons that emerged the chairmanship candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the May 23 local government council election in Rivers State.
The APC primaries for the council election were held last Tuesday across 22 local government areas except Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni in the state.
Eyiba was declared the winner of the primaries in Ahoada West Local Government Area
Declaring the result, the returning officer for the election, Bestman Osi said Eyiba polled a total of 87 votes to defeat Ngozi Ofobo, who scored 38 votes.
Osi who described the process as free and fair said that 126 accredited delegates participated in the primaries.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after his victory, Eyiba said he was delighted and humbled by the mandate given him by his people, assuring them of delivering on his promises to the people.
Eyiba said the mandate was a victory for the people of the area and thanked them for their support.
“The people of  Ahoada West have spoken and their voice should be respected.
I am happy for this mandate, and I also assure them that the mandate that has be given to me will not be misused”, he stated.
Meanwhile, Mr Opi Negia Samuel has emerged the party’s chairmanship candidate in Okrika Local Government Area.
Samuel,who was declared winner at the APC secretariat in Okrika, expressed gratitude to the party supporters who found him worthy as the flag-bearer of the party in the area for the forth coming council election in the state.
He also expressed appreciation to the leaders of the APC in the area and the state, promising to take the people of Okrika and the party to the next level of  development, if elected the chairman of the area.
In Tai, House of Assembly member, Felicia Taneh emerged winner of the APC chairmanship ticket for the LG elections.
Also, Mr Benson Imie Alpheaus was unanimously adopted as the sole chairmanship candidate of the APC in Andoni Local Government Area.
Mr Alpheaus promised to reflect even development, including electrification across the local government area. In Ahoada East, Onwukachi Oma also emerged as chairmanship candidate of APC for the local government  election.
Similarly, the leadership of the party in the state has expressed  gratitude for the peaceful primaries conducted across the  22 local government areas of the state presently ready for the local government election out of 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
The state APC chairman, Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, former Chief of Staff, Government House, Port Harcourt, Chief Tony Okocha, among others thanked the supporters of APC for the peaceful conduct of the party primaries in the state. They called on the APC supporters to come out enmasse to vote APC come May 23, 2015, Local Government election in the state.
Meanwhile, former Obio/Akpor Local Government Caretaker Chairman, Dr. Lawrence Chuku has debunked claims that he and his supporters were defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following the outcome of Tuesday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) council primaries.
Dr. Chuku told newsmen yesterday in Port Harcourt that such claims were smear campaigns against him and his supporters and should be discountenanced by the public.
He reiterated that, “ I still believe in RotimiChibuikeAmaechi and the mandate of Dr. DakukuPeterside, who God has ordained to rule Rivers State.”
The former Caretaker Chairman maintained said neither himself nor his supporters has any plans to leave the party, “ APC is our party and we have continued to make sure that the party moves from strength to strength. I am not interested in working with any other party than that of Amaechi and Dakuku.”
Chuku however stressed that his grouse was that the council primaries were not held in Obio/Akpor and that he and his supporters have petitioned the party leadership that the right thing be done.
He promised to abide by the decision of the party and support whoever wins the primaries, noting that he is not desperate to be chairman of the council but rather wants strong and purposeful leadership in the area.
Reacting to claims that the chairmanship was zoned, Chuku observed that it was zoned to Obio/Akpor Constituency 1 and that as member of the constituency he is qualified to contest the elections.
He therefore advised his supporters and all APC faithful in the area to remain calm and law abiding despite the current setback, assuring that the party will soon regain its mandate at the Election Tribunal.

Kevin Nengia,Enoch Epelle & Chikwere Uzoigwe

L-R: APC Taraba gubernatorial candidate, Sen.Aisha Alhassan, President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Chairman of APC in Taraba State, Alhaji Jika Hassan and Chief Whip, Rep Ishala Baurau during their visits to the President -elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja last Wednesday