PDP and Labour Party join forces in Rivers State to field one governorship candidate

OPPOSITION parties the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party have decided to join forces in Rivers State and present one governorship candidate in Saturday's forthcoming gubernatorial elections.

On Saturday February 25, Nigerians went to the polls to elect a new president and in Rivers State, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) beat Peter Obi of the Labour Party. With gubernatorial elections coming up this weekend, the Rivers State chapter of the Labour Party has adopted the PDP governorship candidate Sir Siminalayi Fubara as its candidate too.

Dienye Pepple, the chairman if the Rivers State chapter of the Labour Party, issued a communique on the development after chairing an executive meeting of the party. Following the development, the party has now abandoned its standard bearer, Beatrice Itubo, whose name will still appear on the ballot, however.

According to Mr Pepple, Fubara’s senatorial district had yet to produce a governor since the creation of the state. Come next Saturday, Mr Fubara will be facing Tonye Cole, a businessman and co-founder of energy conglomerate Sahara Group, who is the APC gubernatorial candidate.

Mr Pepper said: “Voting a riverine candidate in the person of Siminalayi Fubara from the Southeast Senatorial District of the state during the upcoming governorship poll ensures that the Labour Party and her members are defenders and ambassadors of the values that have set her Obidient movement apart from all other parties.”

A former Rivers State attorney-general, Mr Fubara hails from Opobo Nkoro Local Government Area of the state. Prior to his election as the PDP governorship candidate, he was wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over a N435bn fraud case while he was in office.