Politics
RIVERS LG POLLS: NKORO POLITICIAN’S EMERGENCE APC CHAIRMANSHIP CANDIDATE EXCITES LG’S STAKEHOLDERS
The People of the sister kingdoms of Opobo and Nkoro of Rivers State have continued to express their excitements over the emergence of Hon. James A. James as Chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area in the just concluded local government polls in the state.
Speaking with The Tide, which monitored the polls in the area, the LGA’s APC Chairman, Hon. Moses Jaja, said it was a thing of joy to behold an Nkoro politician becoming an elected Chairman of the local government for the first time.
Hon. Jaja likened Hon. James’s emergence with the proverbial saying that ‘if you want to know the capacity of a man, he should be tested with a job’, noting that Hon. James had worked tirelessly and had been very supportive to all those who had previously served as Chairmen of the local government area, and that the peoples expectations were high.
“Hon. James, A. James didn’t just emerge as candidate of the APC from the blues. He has been an active politicians for years. His emergence followed his adoption through series of stakeholders meetings and consensus building to find out who was best for the job.
“If you must know, this is the first time that the Opobo kingdom, politically speaking, will be ceding power to Nkoro to produce an elected Chairman supposing he wins. As we speak, from the results we’ve been receiving, he’s winning landslide, and it gladens our heart to hear this cheering news”, he said.
Also speaking, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of the local government, Dr. Boma Brown, said the Opobo political stakeholders through agreement by way of giving the Nkoro kingdom a sense of belonging decided to cede power to them, saying however that all political bigwigs from Opobo kingdom who were interested in contesting the polls in the major parties had to be persuaded to stepdown to make way for Hon. James as candidate of the All Progressives Congress.
“The LGA polls is one of the democratic path towards empowering the citizenry as part of the RENEWED Hope agenda of the President Tinubu’s administration.
“The power shift in the LGA was part of the zoning formula as practiced and enshrined in the constitution. The council elections were very peaceful and fair. If at the end of the day, Barr James James emerges winner, it will be the first time that the APC will be winning in the area.This will inspire the minority to have a stake in our polity”, he said.
By: Ariwera Ibibo-Howells/Kevin Nengia, Opobo/Nkoro