The Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has said no individual has the power to determine who becomes the next governor of the state.
The party said the choice of governor rests solely with the electorate, not any political actor, ahead of the next governorship election.
The position comes amid renewed political debate over succession in the state, following comments attributed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, during a recent political engagement in which he said he would not repeat what he described as his “mistake of 2023,” stressing the need for a governor who is “completely loyal.”
Wike had also, in separate remarks during a thank-you tour of local government areas earlier in the year, suggested support for a candidate aligned with his political structure. However, he later clarified in Abuja that he had not endorsed any aspirant, saying Rivers elders would play a role in the decision-making process.
Speaking with journalists on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Chairman of the ADC, Chukwudi Dimkpa, said governorship emergence in the state would be decided through democratic processes.
“The choice of a governor ultimately rests with the electorate. It is a process determined through democratic participation and not the decision of a single individual,” Dimkpa said.
He said the ADC was positioning itself as a credible alternative built on transparency, internal democracy and broad-based participation, adding that the party would deepen political engagement across communities in the state.
