A former freedom fighter and prominent Kalabari indigene, Mujahid Asari Dokubo has pledged support for the governorship aspiration of the candidate of the APC, Pastor Tonye Cole.
Asari who appears to have a running battle with Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party, told the Rivers APC flagbearer at Obuama in the Degema Local Government Area that he would be the next occupant of Brick House
“Tonye, you are a pastor”, Asari said while speaking at Obuama, “so this is not your fight.”
“I am not a pastor, I am Edi-Abali and I will lead from the front”, the former freedom fighter noted.
Assuring Cole of victory in the forthcoming state election, Asari added,, “By the grace of God, you are already in Brick House”
Pastor Tonye Dele Cole
It is not clear what role Asari intends to play for Cole who is making his second appearance on the Rivers stage.
Some insiders say Asari reportedly rebuked Ojukaye Flag Amachree, following his rebellion against Cole’s candidature.
He is quoted as saying that the Kalabari people want to have a governor, but he noted that there was no time a decision that he (Ojukaye) would be the chosen one was taken.
What this means is that Asari Dokubo who is promising to lead the fight “from the front” is apparently seeing Cole’s race as a Kalabari project.
Chief OB Lulu Briggs contested against Chief Melford Okilo during the NPN era.
But our political correspondent recalls that the Kalabari nation has never rallied strongly behind any particular Kalabari candidate in contemporary times.
During the NPN era, late Chief Olu Lulu Briggs from Abonnema who was the party’s National Deputy Chairman, South challenged Chief Melford Okilo seen at the time as the Head of the Ogbia Brotherhood between 1982 and 1983.
Okilo had his eyes on a second tenure. Most Kalabari politicians of that era went along with the incumbent.
There were however accusations of betrayal afterwards when the matter was brought to the court of the Amayanabo of Kalabari in Buguma.
Chief Ebenezer Isokariari (4th from left)
In 1999, Chief Ebenezer Isokariari, one – time Secretary to Government under the military suffered a similar fate when he ran against Dr Peter Odili.
Odili won on the platform of the PDP while Isokariari, the APP candidate from Buguma lost the support of the Kalabari in a keenly contested race.
Again, there were accusations of betrayal from within.
Will Cole, another frontrunner from Abonnema secure the support of the Kalabari now that he is the candidate of the APC?
Asari seems to think his support for Cole might make the difference, but only time will tell.