Mr Abednego Ben Oli has insisted that he remains the candidate of the Action Alliance for the governorship election in Rivers State. But his position has been punctured by Mr Adawari George who, last week, emerged as the party’s primary election in the state.
While Oli claims that the primary election that produced him was monitored by INEC and also given wide publicity, George has maintained ab initio, he was never a candidate and could not have been because there was no time his name was published by INEC as the party’s flagbearer.
In fact, Oli told TNN in an online interview that he has already approached the court as part of his efforts to recover what he called his stolen mandate. He alleged that his ticket was stolen and handed over to someone else by the AA leadership.
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This is how the interview went:
Your party, AA in Rivers State has announced a new governorship candidate today, after a primary election, where Mr Dawari George emerged. You had claimed to be the candidate. At what point did you emerge candidate?
I emerged the candidate of Action Alliance on 5th June 2022 as published below (he sent a link from a national newspaper, where it was reported that he won the primary).
But the list of candidates published by INEC didn’t have your name. The name published by INEC was Barr Isaac Somiari, not yours. At what point was your name published by INEC?
The national Chairman of Action Alliance, Barr. Kenneth Udeze decided to trade with my mandate after I emerged in a free, fair and credible primary.
Did you contest this in court?
Yes
You don’t think it has become status barred? The law says the action should be filed within 14 days
We filled before the expiration date. We are very much aware of that. I felt short changed and I immediately approached my lawyer to file in ASAP(as soon as possible), knowing that the judiciary is the hope and instrument to regain my mandate.
Now, Somiari whose name was published by INEC, has stepped down for George. And there was, and there is still no court order stopping INEC
The matter is already filled and at due time justice will be served
But what does this confusion portend?
The party may end not have any candidate if the party does not submit my name. The party chairman is a job man who does not care what becomes the fate of Dr. George Dawari. That Kenneth is a lawyer does not stop the functions of the rule of law.
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But George thinks differently. According to him, the ticket of the AA has since been handed over to him after he won the repeat primary election. He spoke through Mr Bekee Anyalewechi, his media aide.
Hon. Dawari George is said to have clinched the AA guber ticket. And same day, Abednego Ben came up to say he was the authentic candidate. What is going on?
What is going on is that Dr. Dawari Ibietela George, at a legally and lawfully substitution primary conducted by the Action Alliance, AA, in Rivers State emerged the governorship candidate. And at that exercise which took place in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, had all the statutory supervisory bodies present, and by that are meant the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies. The party has a candidate in Dr. Dawari Ibietela George, a pro-people, youth-friendly person whose character in politics stands out; whose commitment to best service delivery to humanity is top-notch. Rivers people won’t want to miss this great chance to rebuild their destiny.
Let’s see how this turns out
It shall turn out very, very well at the end and even the claimant you mentioned would be glad and grateful that AA produced Dr. Dawari Ibietela George as its standard bearer in the governorship race. Rivers State loves him and he loves Rivers State.
