Ambassador Blessing Fubara, brother of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, has declared his intention to contest the Rivers State governorship election under the platform of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), pledging to serve only one term if elected.
The governorship aspirant made the declaration ahead of the party’s primary election, describing himself as a capable and experienced candidate determined to restore peace, stability and economic prosperity in the state.
According to him, Rivers State has suffered political and economic setbacks in recent years, resulting in the loss of opportunities, investments and public confidence.
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“We have lost opportunities. We have lost investments. We have lost our dignity as a people. We have lost our pride as Rivers people,” he said.
Fubara said the state required urgent political and economic renewal, adding that Rivers people must unite beyond ethnic and political differences to reclaim the state’s status as the “treasure base of the nation.”
“Today, we see a Rivers State that is distressed. Today, we see a Rivers State that is shortchanged. Today, we see a Rivers State that seems almost like a conquered state. No, we are not a conquered people,” he stated.
The aspirant also stressed the importance of maintaining the state’s political zoning arrangement, insisting that the Rivers South-East Senatorial District should complete its eight-year tenure in office.
“We have vowed to keep the peaceful existence of the political rotation of Rivers State according to our founding fathers by our districts. The Rivers South-East Senatorial District must complete their eight-year tenure,” he said.
Fubara pledged to serve only a single four-year term if elected governor, promising to support power rotation to another senatorial district afterward.
“Therefore, I have vowed to do just a four-year one-term tenure to bring the expected prosperity and development in Rivers State,” he added.
He further argued that altering the state’s zoning arrangement could create political instability and set a dangerous precedent.
“It is of pertinent reasoning for us to understand that it sets a very wrong and dangerous precedent if we alter the senatorial rotation of our leadership and governance in the state,” he said.
The governorship hopeful also called on supporters across the 23 local government areas of the state to mobilise massively for the NDC primary election.
“I’m calling on my supporters across the 23 local governments of Rivers State to stand at their polling units and wards so we can reclaim the soul of our dear state,” he said.
Fubara maintained that political success should not be measured solely by financial strength, insisting that grassroots support remained the most important asset in any democratic process.
“We might not challenge the financial capacity that they have, but we know that we have the people, so we are richer in capacity,” he stated.
He also appealed to another aspirant in the race, whom he described as his “elder brother,” to step down and support what he called the collective mission to restore peace and progress in Rivers State.
