Rivers: A communication system dominated by rumour

Rumour could be official policy of a state, by choice. What this means is that you listen to the grapevine if you wanted to know the budget of the state, what government has in mind, when the remaining commissioners may be appointed, will there be Economic and Investment Summit in 2026, is the governor signing certificate of occupancy (C/O) any time soon, etc.

The best centre of rumour hub is social media, often on fb. So, citizens flock there every hour to get some gist of their own state. Yes, the office of the Chief Press Secretary, the third in three years, sends out government statements on project visits, but that is less than 10% of the soul of Rivers State. There are no townhalls, no interactive sessions with stakeholders or the media or civil society. Nobody interviews the governor, and nobody visits the Brick House.

Despite this lacuna, most traders, touts, and beer parlour patrons ‘know’ everything happening or will happen in the state; They know what Nyesom Wike has just said against Fubara, and the one Fubara will say next. They ‘know’ how much the govt gets monthly and who has what share. The rumour mill, the biggest mill.

So, a journalist like me would use Google or ChatGPT to find out what is happening next door. OK Chinda is the biggest news in town any day in Rivers State of this era. Newsmen would want to know what does or says per day. So, today, I asked: Who is Minority Leader of the Federal House of Representatives as at May 30, 2026. The answer popped up, naming Kingsley Chinda. They described him as a member of the PDP and representative of the Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in Rivers State. The response did not fail to say there is a controversy on this position.

So, I asked; who is the APC guber candidate? The answer quoted Punch to say the APC has declared Kingsley Chinda as its governorship candidate for Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The declaration is strong: “I, Kwamoti Bitrus, chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee, here have been certified that I am the Returning Officer for the Rivers State Governorship Primary Election held on this day, 21st day of May, 2026.”

So, how would a man be PDP leader in the House of Reps up to May 30, 2026, and is also an APC flagbearer even by May 21? So, he is PDP in Abuja and APC in Rivers State?

The declaration in the internet is that; “As at today 31st of May 2026, Chinda still remains the official Minority Leader of the opposition PDP in the Green Chamber.

The declaration said: “Without official resignation from the PDP, he has been nominated as the APC candidate for the 2027 Rivers State governorship race, thus blurring the lines of partisan loyalty to an unprecedented degree.

A citizen wrote from PH thus: “This act appears to be one of the most unusual cases of partisan overlap witnessed in Nigeria’s Fourth Republic since 1999, with a sitting minority leader participating in a ruling party primary without formally declaring his exit from the opposition.”

In recent past, our politicians were hiding to play in two or three political parties, and it was called ‘anti-party’ activities which attracted suspension or expulsion. Now, they do not seem to bother to hide. They openly play in many parties and call it rainbow coalition for comfort.

That’s the new face of politics, Rivers politics. This suits rumour communication system, too.