Dennis Naku 30 April 2022
Some women in Ogoni land have threatened to boycott the governorship election in Rivers State if the major political parties don’t field candidates from Ogoni extraction in 2023.
This was as the women, during a peaceful walk across the streets of Bori in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, chided the All Progressives Congress for zoning the governorship position to the riverine axis of the state.
The women said the APC, by picking Tonye Cole from the riverine area, showed disregard for the Ogoni people who had suffered age long marginalisation in the politics of the state
Speaking to newsmen, one of the leaders, Mrs. Nuka Isaac, said the Ogoni women would not support the APC and any political party that didn’t pick Ogoni candidate for the governorship contest.
According to her, since Rivers State was created, no Ogoni person has been governor, deputy governor, chief judge or speaker of the state House of Assembly.
“We are going to ensure we mobilise every woman in Ogoni land not to vote for any political party that didn’t zone it governorship ticket to Ogoni land,” Mrs. Isaac stated.
Also speaking, a business woman, Mrs Konwi Bariledum, said since she was born, she had not heard that any Ogoni had govern the state, but said the women would support any political party that gave its party ticket to Ogoni.
“We have been voting for other senatorial districts to become the governor of the state for long this is the time others should support an Ogoni person for governor.
“We are going to stand with our group to support an Ogoni person to become the governor of Rivers State come 2023 governorship election. We heard that the APC had given governorship ticket to riverine; we will not vote for APC come next year,” Mrs. Bariledum stated.
Another leader, Laisi Barika, appealed to other senatorial districts in the state to allow the Ogoni in South-East to produce the next governor of the state come 2023 for justice, equity and fairness.
Recall that the APC in the state had, in a meeting by party stakeholders in Abujap, picked Lagos-based businessman, Tonye Cole, as its preferred candidate for the 2023 governorship election.
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