By Emeka Amaefula Jp
On Saturday 18th of March,2023 the Rivers State Governorship election was conducted in the 319 Electoral Wards in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. One thing remain salient and obvious being the fate of the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP Governorship candidate now Governor Elect, Siminialaye Joseph Fubara whose popularity was diminished by the way the incumbent Governor Wike took the shine in the political firmament of Nigeria as both Governor of one of the richest states in the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a Presidential aspirant in 2023. For obvious reasons, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike contested PDP Presidential primary election and lost to Atiku Abubakar who was Presidential standard bearer of PDP.
Siminialaye Joseph Fubara hails from Opobo town in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State haven lived with his parents at Port Harcourt the state capital. He was a quiet gentle man who attended Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu Orowurokwo Port Harcourt now Rivers State University. He studied Accountancy and was not the noise making type of individual who acquires all manner of Chieftaincy titls and who likes to grace the pages of newspapers and occupies front line cyber space in social media. Few years after graduation he tried his luck in partisan politics where he contested for Councilorship position in Dappa-ye-Amakiri, Ward 5, Opobo/Nkoro LGA. Thereafter he joined Civil Service as he rose rapidly in various cadre to get to Principal Accountant Government House Port Harcourt. With his level headedness and being thorough in his duties, Siminialaye Fubara was promoted to the position of Accountant General Rivers State a position he held until he resigned in 2022 to contest the Rivers State PDP Governorship primary election which he won.
Being a philanthropist and someone who is silent in all he does especially with regards to humanitarian services. SIM as he is fondly addressed by his admieres and political followers took part in the Rivers state Peoples Democratic Party-PDP gubernatorial primary election and he won. It was at this time around that people began to take him serious and seeing how he gradually worked his way to get trust in the incumbent Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike’s kitchen cabinet. Throughout the electioneering campaign periods Nyesom Ezenwo Wike directly took part in all the ralies held in the 23 Local Government Areas of the state with high octane booster in projects commissioning and groundbreaking of legacy projects of his administration and using such as a bet and good tonic to attracting and gathering Electoral votes from the electorate in Rivers state. In fact, Governor Wike frequently queried Rives people in most of the political electioneering campaigs whether they would like to vote for his political enemies PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar who he alleged never supported political power shift to Southern Nigeria. And the audience chorused “No!”
He would thunder in his vocal query “Would you want them to jail me?” And the crowd shouted “no..” in response to his agitated voice.
Obviously, Siminialaye Joseph Fubara is not a man given to the power of oratory and sweet tongue in convincing his listeners but his power of persuasion and appealing personality drew much attention to his Electoral values and campaign messages stating what he can do when he assumes office as Governor of Rivers State come May 29th, 2023.
And on March 18th, 2023 Rivers State voters resoundly gave him a total vote of 302,614 while his opponent Tonye Cole came second with a total of 95,274 votes.
Whereas Rivers State has a total of registered voters in the numerical value of three million five hundred and thirty- seven one hundred and ninety (3,537,190) which earmarked the state as one of the Frontline states in the federation with highest number of registered voters in Independent National Electoral Commission-INEC register in Nigeria.
On Tuesday night 21st, March 2023 he was announced as Governor Elect of Rivers State haven obtained the highest number of votes cast during the Governorship election.
His political campaigns slogan was Consolidation of the NEW Rivers Vision….which rose from the 2015 Governorship campaign mantra of Nyesom Ezenwo Wike whose name initials formed the acronym N.E.W Vision 2015 and 2019 which Siminialaye Joseph Fubara will now consolidate in spreading infrastructure and good governance to the good people of Rivers State in his incoming administration of 2023 to 2027.