Ex-Rivers Accountant-General Fubara, Declared Wanted By EFCC, Wins PDP Gov Ticket

The immediate past Rivers Accountant-General, Siminialayi Fubara, has emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 General Election.

Fubara, who hails from the riverine Opobo-Nkoro Local Government Area, scored 721 votes to defeated 15 other aspirants with Isaac Kamalu coming a distant second with 86 votes.

The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Prof. Walter Mbotu, declared Fubara the winner of the primary election.

While Felix obua got 2 votes, David Brigs 4, West Morgan 4, Tammy Danagogo 36 and George Kelly 37, others scored zero vote.

About 898 delegates assembled at the Dr. Obi Wali Conference Centre, the venue of the primary election to vote for their preferred aspirants.

Mbotu said out of 980 expected delegates, 898 were accredited to vote while 8 votes were voided.

A team of Electoral officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the process with Governor Nyesom Wike in attendance.

Some major aspirants such as a former state Chairman of PDP, Felix Obua and former Secretary to State Government (SSG), Tammy Danagogo; Senator Thompson Sekibo, Austin Opara, Senator Lee Maeba were not in attendance.

But other popular aspirants, the Commissioner for Finance, Isaac Kamalu and Special Adviser, Special Project, George Kelly and the only female aspirant, Abbie Atedoghu were present at the venue.

After last minute horse trading by Governor Nyesom Wike, leaders of the PDP and the aspirants, voting commenced at 6:10pm.

Delegates were called by the Electoral committee according to their local government areas and they filed out to cast their votes in designated ballot boxes.

Mbotu, earlier promised to ensure a free, fair and transparent process as he advised delegates to comport themselves.

Chairman of PDP, Amb. Desmond Akawor, said the governorship primary would bring to an end series of activities to elect candidates of the party for the general elections.

Akawor expressed happiness that the process from delegate election to House of Assembly and National Assembly primaries had been successful.

Recall that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission declared the Rivers State Accountant-General, Fubara Siminayi, and 58 others wanted over alleged N435 billion fraud.

Siminayi, and four other Rivers State government officials, among others, are wanted for suspected N117 billion fraud, alleged criminal conspiracy, money laundering, misappropriation of public funds, and abuse of office.

The EFCC stated in a statement the Commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, called on the general public to assist in apprehending the Accountant-General and other suspects.

Uwujaren said, “We call on anyone with useful information as to the whereabouts of the Account-General to contact any of the Agency’s offices or the nearest police station or other security agencies.