Ahead of the 2023 general election, an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Rivers State, Bernard Mikko, has rubbished the argument that the party’s ticket should be zoned to the riverine area.
Bernard, who spoke in Port Harcourt at the weekend, said the argument lacked sincerity and credibility because the entire state is riverine and no part should be categorised as more riverine than the other.
Bernard, who once represented the Gokhana-Khana Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, said the fact that the state was christened Rivers explained his position that the entire state is riverine.
He, however, said that if any part of the state should be considered for the party’s ticket, the Ogoni ethnic nationality ranked first because it remained the most politically marginalised area.
He said: “Every area in Rivers State is a riverine area and the areas referred to as riverine areas are equally accessible by road.
“If the issue of zoning in the party must be promoted according to the party’s constitutions, then it is only fair to zone it to the Ogoni people of the Southeast councils as they have been sidelined for so long since the 1999 elections.”
He implored the APC delegates and people of Rivers to choose a candidate based on credibility, and capacity and not on godfatherism.
