… Siminialayi Fubara emerges as flag bearer
Delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State Wednesday elected the party’s gubernatorial flag bearer.
He is Siminialayi Fubara. Fubara is from the Rivers East Senatorial District which is yet to produce a governor.
Fubara, a former Accountant General polled 721 votes to set aside the challenge of two other aspirants who were physically present while Isaac Kamalu placed second with 86 votes.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Prof. Walter Mbotu, declared Fubara the winner of the primary election.
About 898 delegates assembled at the Dr. Obi Wali Conference Centre, the venue of the primary election to vote for their preferred aspirants.
Mbotu said out of 980 expected delegates, 898 were accredited to vote while 8 votes were voided.
A team of Electoral officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the process with Governor Nyesom Wike in attendance.
Wike who arrived at the venue around 4pm entered into consultative meeting with the three major aspirants which includes Dax George Kelly.
Also present at that last minute meeting to determine the way forward were elders led by Chief Ferdinand Anabraba.
Voting however commenced at about 6:10pm.
Delegates were invited to cast their votes by the Electoral committee according to their local government areas.
Our Correspondent reports that six ballot boxes with the inscription of INEC were on display before voting commenced.
Addressing delegates and other stakeholders who were gathered at the venue, Mbotu, earlier promised to ensure a free, fair and transparent process.
Amb. Desmond Akawor, Chairman of the party in the State said the gubernatorial primary has brought to an end, series of activities to elect candidates of the party for the general elections.
Akawor disclosed that the process which began with the election of House of Assembly and National Assembly members had been successful.
Aspirants such as a former state Chairman of PDP, Felix Obuah, former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo; Senator Thompson Sekibo, Austin Opara, and Senator Lee Maeba were conspicuously absent.
Earlier, Obuah had urged his supporters to accept the outcome of the gubernatorial primaries.
The former State Chairman who has been the only one to speak up after it became known a hours to the event said the party is supreme.
He said he would remain loyal to the party and urged his associates to stay in line.