Rumours that Gov Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had picked his accountant-general, Similayi Fubara, to be the next governor have proved real.
Fubara was Wednesday night picked by 721 delegates to fly the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship flag for 2023.
Fubara came to limelight when the Economic and financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared him and some others wanted for various sums of money. He was to explain cash withdrawals amounting to N117billion in Government House.
The next thing, his name shot up on list of guber aspirants in the ruling PDP in the state. At the guber primaries Wednesday night, he scored 721 out of the 898 delegates and put the nearest contender at 86 and the third at 37. Many others got zero.
The fact that someone that was not known in politics dusted tested politicians is seen as indication that the delegates voted for the governor.
The Rivers State Accountant General defeated Isaac Kamaku and George Kelly who came a distant second and third with 86 votes 37 votes respectively.
The immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Tammy Danagogo, came fourth with 36 votes.
A total of 898 votes were cast, while eight were voided, according to the election committee chairman, Walter Mboto.
Read also: Four aspirants withdraw from PDP guber race in Lagos
Some 16 aspirants had contested for the party’s ticket after series of stakeholders’ meetings and consultations led by Wike failed to produce his successor. Many of those who attended the meeting came out wearing long faces while some did not bother to come to the venue.
Party delegates from the 23 local government areas of the state who arrived the Obi Wali International Conference Centre in Port Harcourt, venue of the primary, completed accreditation about 2pm and were seated.
Witnesses said Governor Wike arrived at 4:39pm and immediately called all 23 local government and party elders into one of the halls at the venue where they had a closed-door meeting that lasted for over an hour in what can be termed last minute horse trading.
The chairman of the electoral committee announced the mode of the election and assured that the process would be free and transparent.
The actual voting started with Abua/Odual Local Government Area at about 6:07pm.
Some of the aspirants, including the immediate past Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Tammy Danagogo, George Sekibo, former senator, Lee Maeba, Gabriel Pidomson and the immediate past state PDP chairman, Felix Obuah, among others, may have boycotted the primary despite hitherto going through the entire process.
It was gathered that many of them were opposed to the choice that eventually emerged winner.
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