Meet the top 10 governorship candidates battling to succeed Wike in Rivers state
Like in every other state in Nigeria where gubernatorial election is slated to hold on Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Rivers state, there are no fewer than 16 governorship candidates contesting on the platform of different political parties.
However, the scenario this time around is different from that of 2019 when the Judiciary ordered INEC to remove the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the ballot, leaving the battleground for only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and few other smaller political parties.
Going by information published at Independent National Election Commission (INEC) website, Some of the governorship candidates aspiring to succeed Governor Nyesom Wike on May 29, 2023, include Tonye Cole of the APC, Sim Fubara of the PDP, Magnus Abe of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Sobomabo Jackrich of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) and Beatrice Itubo of the Labour Party (LP).
Others are Dumo Lulu-Briggs of Accord Party, Gborogbosi Leesi of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Ibraye Tonte of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Somiari Victor of Action Alliance (AA) and Faye-Ofori Churchill of Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Also on the list are Joseph Obele of the African Action Congress (AAC), Sam Agwor of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Sophia Cookey of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Victor Fingesi of African Democratic Party (ADP) and Danagogo Wenike-Briggs of Young Progressives Party (YPP).
GbaramatuVoice presents to you the top 10 candidates as they vie for the support of 3,537,190 registered voters in Rivers state. Who are they and what do they stand for?
1. Sim Fubara – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
Amaopusenibo Siminalayi “Sim” Fubara, was the former accountant general of Rivers State, Nigeria. He is the flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party for the 2023 governorship election in Rivers State. He was born in Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area of Rivers State.
2. Tonye Cole – All Progressive Governorship Candidates (APC)
Tonye Patrick Cole is a Nigerian businessman; he is the co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group, an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in Nigeria and neighboring West African countries to East Africa and beyond.
Tonye Cole was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers state on 11 January 1967. He attended Corona School, Victoria Island and later King’s college, Lagos before proceeding to King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of University of Lagos where he bagged a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Engineering, then a Portuguese Certificate from Universidade de Brasília, Brazil. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 2014. The Brazilian architectural firm Grupo Quatro SA in Goiania Brazil was where he started his career as an Architect from 1990 to 1992.
3. Dumo Lulu-Briggs – Accord Party
Lulu-Briggs is a Nigerian politician, lawyer, businessman, entrepreneur and a philanthropist. He is a member of Accord and also the Governorship candidate of his party in Rivers Sate.
Dumo Lulu-Briggs Was born on 13 June 1964, in Lagos and he hails from Abonnema, a town in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. His father was Olu Benson Lulu-Briggs. Dumo Attended Ahmadu Bello University where got a degree in law.
Dumo Lulu-Briggs began his political career as the Social Democratic Party Candidate, House of Representatives Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency in 1992, in 1996 – 1998 he held the position as the grassroots Democratic Party National Assistant Legal adviser. In 2018, Dumo Lulu Briggs became the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant before he defected to Accord.
4. Magnus Abe – Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Senator Magnus Abe, a former Senator who represented Rivers East senatorial district at the National Assembly, is the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Rivers state for the 2023 election. Abe emerged the party candidate at the conclusion of its substitution primary held in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
A retired permanent secretary from the Rivers state civil service, Princess Patricia Ogbonna, was equally elected as the running mate to Senator Abe.
5. Sobomabo Jackrich – National Rescue Movement (NRM) Rivers State.
High Chief (Amb.) Sobomabo Jackrich aka Egberipapa, is the Governorship Candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) in Rivers State.
The 43- year-old agitator for the development of Niger Delta was once a strong ally to Governor Nyesom Wike, and former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area in Rivers State.
Jackrich who is also the Founder and leader of Kengema Unity Forum (KUF) and Network for Defence of Democratic and Good Governance (NDDGG) is the first politician to declare interest in succeeding Wike as the governor of Rivers State.
He recently told the people of the state that part of his vision would be to place Rivers state in an enviable state when compared to other southern riverine states in the country. He promises to achieve this objective by tackling frontally challenges bedeviling Rivers state like unemployment, insecurity, pensions, and others he will give maximal attention to tackle them and give the people sign of relief.
6. Beatrice Itubo – Labour Party (LP)
Comrade (Mrs) Beatrice Itubo is the governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the State. She is the immediate past Chairman of the Rivers State council of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.
Itubo was declared winner of the primaries after pulling 201 votes out of the 272 delegate votes. She defeated a former member of the House of Representatives, Eneyi Braid, who polled 71 votes.
7. Leesi Ggborogbosi – Action Peoples Party (APP)
Dr Leesi Ggborogbosi is the governorship candidate of the Action Peoples Party, APP, in Rivers State. He believes the creation of three new cities in the three senatorial districts of state will solve the congestion challenge which currently characterized Port Harcourt city. This is his cardinal objective. This objective is also premised on the fact that only such action will take development to the grassroots.
8. Tonte Ibraye – African Democratic Congress (ADC) .
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in Rivers state is Tonte Ibraye, while the controversial actress, Tonto Dikeh, is his running mate ahead of the 2023 elections.
Before his emergence, Mr. Tonte Ibraye was the Vice Chairman of Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Abuja chapter. Out of 188 votes, Ibraye, who is an advocate for maternal, newborn, and child health, scored 187 votes to defeat Joyce Barida and Dr. Warmeth Wright in a primary election organised by the party in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
9. Joseph Obele – African Action Congress (AAC)
Obele, going by the decision of the federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, is the Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2023 general elections in the state.
It was in the news that after winning at the primaries, a self-acclaimed factional Chairman of the party, Mr Progress Ogbokuma, approached the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt to nullify the primary election that brought in Dr Obele and recognise his purported primary election. However, His Lordship, Justice Phoebe Ayua of the Federal High Court in her judgement struck out the case for lack of merit.
10. Sam Agwor is candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Surv. Sam Agwor, Governorship candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, in Rivers State. He is an accomplished surveyor. Sam believes that if elected, he is capped with policies that the good people of Rivers state will appreciate.
For publication of your news content, articles, live event coverage, political campaigns, photos, videos or any other news worthy materials on GbaramatuVoice and to place advert, please call or WhatsApp +2348143459986 or Email: gbaramatuvoice@gmail.com
Support Quality Journalism in the Niger Delta Region
Join us in our mission to bring development journalism, cultural preservation, and environmental awareness to the forefront. Your contribution makes a difference in the lives of the people of the Niger Delta. Donate today and be a part of the change!
