LG Polls: I’m A Loser-Fubara

As his party, the PDP is not taking part in Saturday’s local government elections in Rivers State, the governor, Sim Fubara has said he is in pains and the greatest loser. But he says he is determined to ensure that the election goes ahead under his watch.

Saying that he is in charge and of the entire processes as no federal government controlled court will be able to adjudicate on the outcome of the election, Fubara said the people should feel free to go out with their voters’ card to exercise their franchise.

The PDP has since pulled out of the contest, citing the court order from a federal high court. On Thursday, some members and leaders of the party even took to the streets, in the rain, to protest as they called on security agencies not to be involved in the election.

Fubara warned those he called misguided elements not to contemplate any act of violence as they would meet a stiff opposition, while urging all registered voters and leaders of political groups to ensure they were at their polling units to participate in the process that will usher in new political leadership in the 23 local government councils.

He spoke on Thursday while addressing Rivers Political Stakeholders who converged at Government House in Port Harcourt ahead of the election.

Fubara said: “First, I want to thank everyone of you for being very peaceful. You see, I didn’t make any mistake when I said, we need to follow this struggle with a different tactics.

“If you have very special egg that you are carrying, and somebody is coming to fight you, do you need to fight the person? Won’t you use your two hands to grab the basket of the egg? Even if the person is chasing you, if you run and hit your foot and the basket of egg falls, who is going to lose, is it not you? You can see why we are very careful, and we are following this course with AI.

“Secondly, I want to assure you that the Local Government election is about the State. I might not be a lawyer but at least, I understand that it is a State matter.

“And, thirdly, from the beginning of this process to the end is within the purview of the State. It has nothing to do with any federal judicial institution to disrupt it. So, we should understand this fact and play according to the rule.”

The Governor wondered why some self-serving people are bent on hatching their plot to derail the course of the election when states that have no duly elected Local Government Councils across the country are endeavouring to do so in order not to run foul of the Supreme Court ruling.

He said: “10 States of the federation have conducted elections with 2023 voter register. I don’t know why things of Rivers State are always different. Is it that when it comes to the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where it concerns Rivers State, it’s a different thing?

“Anyway, today, we are here to assure you that as a government, we are prepared to support the electoral body to conduct a free, fair and credible election for the peace-loving people Rivers State.”

Speaking on Thursday’s protest by some people believed to be loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Fubara mocked them saying some of those on the streets are  people they hired either from places like Obinze-Ngwa, boundary towns between Imo and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government, and Akwa Ibom, who they brought into the city to protest.

He added, “Our AI pattern of doing things has even made people to turn to the chant of aluta. There was a time, when they told the public that they can’t protest.

“Look at some of them, they are now behaving like members of labour unions, protesting like students. They have turned to aluta professions. Going by the analysis that they posed then, we can say, there are every signal that they have failed.

“So, if today, this same persons have resolved to aluta pattern, it means that we have also won. So, we need to be very careful and follow this course with tact.”