Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
A governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Hon. Bernard Mikko, has disagreed with the position of the party to zone its ticket for the 2023 gubernatorial election to the riverine area.
The one time representative of the Gokana-Khana federal constituency in the House of Representatives noted as lack of credibility for anyone to mention that there is any part of the state that is not bounded by the river.
He explained that the entire Rivers State is christened and recognised as riverine areas, therefore, no part should be categorised more than the other.
Bernard, who spoke in Port Harcourt
yesterday, said if any part of the state should be considered for the party’s ticket, the Ogoni ethnic nationality ranks first because it remained the most politically marginalised area of the state.
He said: “Every area in Rivers State is a riverine area, and the areas referred to as riverine areas are equally accessible by road.
“If the issue of zoning in the party must be promoted according to the party’s constitutions, then it is only fair to zone it to the Ogoni people of the Southeast councils as they have been sidelined since 1999.”
Bernard further said among all the aspirants vying for the ticket of the party, he was the only one that built his wealth outside the government.
He said his entrepreneurship skills contributed immensely in building his business empire, promising to promote such skills in the state if given the opportunity to govern the state.
The aspirant said his governorship ambition was inspired by his passion to tackle different levels of insecurity in the state.
He said: “We have insecurity of lives and property. No job security-our youths have no job security. We have gas and other natural resources that we can use to make life better.
“But this insecurity has created a kind of inequality, where most people get these resources for themselves and abandon the rest. They only go back to the people during elections.”
Bernard implored the APC delegates and people of Rivers State to choose a candidate based on credibility, capacity and not on godfatherism.
