The challenging political maneuvering and scheming going on in Rivers state directed towards the Governorship election is getting messier as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party-PDP leadership has devised strategic plans of using the judiciary in achieving a pre-determined victory before the cast of the first ballot in March come 2023. First the PDP in Rivers state has instituted several court cases against other competing political parties for various political electoral offices in Rivers state.
For the Rivers state Governor Wike he first made sure that Dr. Farah Dagogo a member of the Federal House of Representatives who showed interest to contest the PDP Governorship Primary election who was among the first Governorship aspirants to pick expression of Interest and Intent Form for Governorship. He was alleged to have sponsored thugs who planned to disrupt screening exercise for aspirants at the PDP Aba Road secretariat and allegation of illegal possession of firearms was levelled against Dr. Farah Dagogo whose PDP governorship ambition was immediately cut off by Governor Wike as the Court is taking adequate care of the matter.
Secondly, the All Progressives Congress-APC Governorship candidate Architect Tonye Dele Cole is standing trial for alleged $50m transfer by the previous administration led by Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. With this court matter and based on the Electoral Act 2022 as Amended any candidate for election who has pre-election court cases must have it disposed of before election proper. And this is the reason the case is receiving speedy trial before Justice
Then, the Accord Party in Rivers state was dragged before a Federal High Court in Rivers state over the conduct of its Primary election that produced Governorship candidate High Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs with Justice Stephen Daylop Pam presiding.
Thirdly, All Progressives Congress 13 Candidates of Federal House of Representatives and three Senatorial Candidates are all having the process that brought them up being challenged before a Federal High Court with Justice Stephen Daylop Pam also presiding. The Governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party-SDP is having Court matter instituted by PDP leadership in Rivers state against the process that brought the Governorship candidate to contest as not having followed due process stipulated by INEC with reference to the Electoral Law 2022 as amended. The case has been adjourned to 29th of July, 2022 for hearing. APC in Rivers state have already petitioned against having their case heard by Justice Stephen Daylop Pam for foreseen bias in the matter.
With all these several court cases it is obvious that Governor Wike has a plan which if all the court cases instituted by his party succeed it will be an easy ride to victory for PDP in Rivers state come 2023 General election.
Currently, PDP Governorship candidate Siminialaye Fubara is touring the 23- Local Government Areas for Sensitization exercise on PVC acquisition by electorate in the state. While at Abua/Odual LGA on Wednesday, 27th of July, 2022 the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP denied that it wants to get other Political parties’ Governorship Candidates not to participate in the 2023 Governorship election in Rivers state by dragging their candidates to court asking the Court to get them disqualified.
But from the look of things, Governor Wike has finished his electioneering campaign for his successor in office before the lifting of political campaign in the state by INEC. Now, the electorate have known who Siminialaye Fubara is as his tours the 23- LGAs while other Governorship Candidates are not working hard to sensitizing the masses for Permanent Voters Card registration which is an indirect way of engaging in early political electioneering campaign in the state. Now, nobody is talking about EFCC officials wanting to arrest the PDP Governorship candidate Siminialaye Fubara over N117Billion alleged fraud to which he and two other officers of Rivers State Government were declared wanted by EFCC while he was Accountant General of Rivers State.
