The momentum is indeed building up as Ni-gerians braise themselves up to go to the polls to elect a new president and another set of National Assembly members on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
On Saturday, March 11, 2023, it will be the turn of the states to elect new governors (except for Edo, Ekiti, Anambra, Imo, Kogi and Osun States) and another league of state legislators who will take over from the present set of political leaders.
In Rivers State, there is a pervasive atmosphere of excitement about the Consolidation Team put together by His Excellency, Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, CON, GSSRS, POS (Africa), Life Bencher and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with Sir Sim Fubara as the Governorship Candidate, his Deputy leading the pack of other State and National Assembly flag bearers, who I simply refer to as the ‘Winning Team’ in  the elections.
It is an incontrovertible fact known to everyone, including nay sayers as well, that Rivers State has remained the strong hold of the PDP since the inception of the present democratic administration in 1999. This position has since been further solidified by the excellent performance of the present administration in the past eight years in the areas of infrastructural development, education, healthcare, provision of social amenities and welfare services .
In obvious demonstration of his intentions for the welfare and wellbeing of the state, Governor Wike has presented  a credible personality who can build on his unbeatable developmental foundation in these areas mentioned above, to take over the baton of leadership for  the post of gov-ernor in Rivers State.
The personality so identified happens to be a God-fearing son of the soil from the great Opobo Kingdom of Riverine Ijaw, Amaopusenibo, Sir Siminialayi Fubara (KSC) aka Sir SIM, a tried, tested and proven career civil servant with excellent track record of performance, who handled the very sensi-tive position of Accountant General of the State, with Prof. Ngozi Odu,  his Deputy, herself a well known educationist and administrator par excellence, to continue his good works.
Against the backdrop of the fact that government is a continuum, it is not out of place that these former public office holders who  had been tried and tested  as Accountant General of Rivers State and former Education Commissioner  are eminently capable to  consolidate and build on the already laid foundation by the NEW Rivers Vision, the brainchild of His Excellency, Governor  Nyesom Wike.
Sir Sim Fubara and  Prof. Odu’s consolidation team of the PDP in Rivers State  is seen by political pundits as most preferred to win the governorship election on March 11th because  unlike contenders from other parties, the duo have been identified as youths who, in the midst of the resonating clamour for continuity of the present administration’s enviable record of superlative performance, understand the dreams and aspirations of Rivers people, and therefore  capable of articulating their agenda, their expectations and able to deliver on the demands within the Nigerian construct.
They are also from Senatorial Districts that have not produced a Governor or  Deputy respectively in the Rivers project since the beginning of this  political dispensation. Therefore,  for purposes of political equilibrium in governance of Rivers State, leaders of thought find it apt to allow the senatorial Districts to produce the Governor and Deputy in the next dispensation.
The duo of Sir Fubara and  Prof. Odu are personalities who are described  by political observers in their different Opobo/Nkoro and Ogba /Egbema /Ndoni local government area respectively, and the State in general, as those who can deliver on their campaign promises because they have the fear of God and great respect for  party elders, members and leaders  in the 23 local government areas.
Rivers people have no reason, therefore, to look elsewhere, at this point in time, for any other political tag team because Sir Sim and  Prof. Odu remain the best choice for the governorship of our state.
Political observers have studied the personal profiles and pedigree of all the contenders aspiring for the governorship position of all the political parties and decided to be more pungent and make direct appeal that the state needs the best represen-tatives for continuity and development and not politics of party lines.
So, the 2023 elections in Rivers State should  not be seen as any aspirant’s personal War. It is a battle for Rivers people to get the  best representatives for the state to continue to enjoy the dividends of Democracy which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has so far done with Sir Sim Fubara and Prof. Odu as the surest bet.
It is my ernest belief that Rivers people will throw their weight behind this ticket and deliver it come 11th March with ease.
Of a truth, no politician  wins any election than one  on ground, who the people describe as  nice and close to their hearts .This is what Sir Sim and  Prof. Odu mean to many, politicians well respected by  their constituents and as  strategists, they will certainly become the bridge of common interest between Rivers people and others across diverse local and state matters in office as Governor and Deputy.
Over the years, Sir Fubara and Deputy have been identified as personalities who see leadership as service to the people and not to enrich themselves, a fact this writer corroborates with their associates.
Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu are  avowed grassroots mobilisers who are described as loyal, focused and  highly committed personalities to any cause they believe in. They tenaciously hold the belief that leaders should be servants who are accountable to the people and should strive relentlessly to put smiles on the faces of those they lead at all times.
They are motivators and role models of the people, using their resources and wealth of experience as  public servants to employ, build capacity, provide life line equipment etc, to the youth, orphans, the physically challenged, women, widows, widowers, traditional, religious organisations etc, in their local government areas and beyond, even  as public servants. They possess the qualities to lead with ideas that are capable of fighting against any identifiable reasons for the people’s  political set back in the  years ahead .
Many political observers have also identified the duo of Sir Fubara and Prof. Odu as people whose courage and convictions, combined with ruthless grasp of local politics, have endowed them with some level of political relevance to deliver to Rivers people with dividends of democracy as they represent the state as governor and deputy.
It is also on record, that nobody who comes close to these public servants turned politicians, even at first sight, can ignore their intelligence, magnanimity and philanthropic gestures, no matter their political affiliations.
While their political associates see them as  grassroots mobilisers and  ambitious personalities who have studied in diligence to better the lot of people as well as  generational anchors endowed with divine humility and blessings, others see them as the much needed ones who can advance Rivers people to the next level developmentally without being hampered.
On the whole, the duo are visionary leaders that stand out tall in our time. Congratulations to  His Excellency and Deputy, by God’s grace come May 29th 2023. May God Almighty protect them continually and give them wisdom of King Solomon in the years ahead in Jesus Mighty name. Amen.

By: Odinaka Osundu
Osundu, a public affairs commentator, writes from Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.