2023: Andoni PDP Reaches Consensus On Elective Positions

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State has concluded the zoning arrangement of some elective political positions by consensus ahead of the 2023 election in the state.
The consensus arrangement was reached in the party’s stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt, recently.
At the meeting,the stakeholders asked the Speaker, Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani not to continue as representative of Andoni Constituency in the state Assembly after 2023 election.
The stakeholders also resolvedthat the lawmaker representing Andoni/Opobo-Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon. Awajionobeek Abiante should contest for the House of Representatives position come 2023.
They further agreed that the Organising Secretary of PDP in Rivers State, Mr Kagban Ofik of Ikuru Ward 5 in Andoni should contest for House of Assembly position to replace Ibani.
The stakeholders in the party meeting includes, Speaker of Rivers State House of Assembly and leader of the party in the area, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani; the Andoni Council Chairman, Barrister Erastus Awortu; Head of Service, Barrister Rufus Godwins, state PDP Organising Secretary, Kagban Ofik, PDP Chairman in Andoni, Ere Victor, councillors, all political appointees, party chieftains, among others.
Though the zoning arrangement appears not to be going down well with some persons, who feel that Abiante should not return to the House of Representative after serving two tenures in the National Assembly, but majority of the stakeholders argued that he was the right person to win election in the area at this time.
Supporting the argument, Chairman of PDP in the area, Ere Victor said Abiante has done reasonably well in the area of representation of Andoni and Opobo-Nkoro people and provision of constituency projects and programmes in area.
He said the lawmaker has provided giant generators with street lights installed in almost all the communities, including Asarama, Egendem, Unyeada, Ngo, among others.
According to him, Abiante has also provided school desks and tables across secondary schools in Andoni and Opobo-Nkoro communities in the constituency.
The party chairman said the decision to allow Abiante go back to Abuja was to complete what he has started at the National Assembly, especially some of the bills yet to be concluded.
Though, the Speaker,Rt Hon Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani has not commented on the zoning arrangement, some of his supporters, said the nomination of Kagban Ofik as PDP consensus candidate to replace Ibani was a welcome development.
One Mr Samuel from Ward 11 in Andoni said Ibani needs to go for higher position like National Assembly, considering the wealth of experience gathered so far as speaker for eight years, chief whip for four years and member foranother four years.
According to him, Ibani was pleased with the zoning arrangement in the area.
Responding to the outcome of the meeting, the Chairman of Andoni Local Government Area, Barrister Erastus Awortu expressed optimism that PDP would maintain all its positions come 2023 election.
He said the party under Governor Nyesom Wike has done magnificent projects in Andoni, adding that the projects and programmes still stand tall to speak for all the incoming candidates of PDP in 2023.
Awortu also said that his administration has added colour to the development strides of Governor Nyesom Wike by providing remarkable projects such asdurable roads, potable water supply, empowerment, tourism and many more still in the pipeline.
He said PDP in Andoni does not have any opposition in the area, adding that the people representing the party in various positions of thrust were always carrying every citizen of the area along, irrespective of party lines.

By: Enoch Epelle