APC disqualifies Wike’s former deputy, Jack-Rich, others from Rivers Senate race

By Daniel Abia

Former deputy governor and incumbent lawmaker, Senator Ipalibo Banigo, has been disqualified from seeking re-election into the Red Chambers by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mrs Banigo, a former deputy governor of Rivers State, served from 2015 to 2023 under Nyesom Wike as governor.

In a statement released by the party on Sunday, besides Ipalibo, other aspirants disqualified from contesting the primary election on Monday include, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, Dr. Tamunobaabo Wemike Danagogo, former secretary to Rivers State Government and a business mogul, Jack-Rich Tien, all from the Rivers West Senatorial District.

Nevertheless, close allies of the minister of the federal capital territory, FCT, Wike such as Felix Obuah, Rivers West, Allwell Onyeosoh, Rivers southeast, Osarosaka Ebenezer, southeast and Barry Mwara also of Rivers southeast were all cleared to contest the primary election.

Though no cogent reason has been advanced for the disqualification of the above aspirants who are mainly from the Rivers West Senatorial District, political observers alleged that their disqualification may not be unconnected to disloyalty to the FCT minister.

One House of Assembly aspirant in the APC who craved anonymity alleged that Harry’s disqualification may stem from her neutral posture during the political crisis involving Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Fubara is from Rivers West Senatorial District.

The aspirant noted that “though she was Wike’s deputy for eight years and it was Wike that made it possible for her to go to the Senate, the woman did not like the way Fubara was treated like somebody’s houseboy.

“The same thing applied to Danagogo. He was SSG in Wike’s government and served in that same position under governor Fubara. It is obvious that he too did not publicly align with Wike during the crisis period, hence, his disqualification”, he said.

Commenting on this development, a human rights activist, Comrade Solomon Lenu predicted that implosion was eminent in the APC, adding that the way even the founding fathers and members of the party are being treated may likely lead to “a serious internal crisis in the party before 2027 general elections”.

According to the activist, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may be the last President APC will have after 2027, if the party survives what is coming. There is a possibility that some of these people who have been disqualified without any genuine reason may remain in the party and work against its success.

“Right now, those who are disqualified cannot move to another party because of the new electoral law. But I can assure you that they may remain in APC and work against its success. This is no democracy. Why should people be denied the opportunity of testing their popularity at the polls? Everybody should go out and test his/her popularity without any let.”

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