Gov Fubara
How little known APP defeated PDP, APC, cleared all Rivers LG elections
More facts have emerged on how little known Action Peoples Party, APP, cleared all chairmanship positions in the just concluded Rivers State council election.
There is no doubt that the APP as is the surprise party of the just-concluded Rivers local government (LG) election as it won 22 of 23 chairmanship positions in the poll.
Indeed, earlier report had stated that Adolphus Enebeli, the chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC), had announced the results of the elections on Saturday, October 5, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
However, the results came as It is alleged that the APP is backed by Siminalayi Fubara, the Governor of Rivers State.
Fubara had recently directed his loyalists to defect to the APP to contest the election. This came against the backdrop of his lingering feud with his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Fubara’s position is also made harder as he has issues with Wike’s loyalists who are members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Led by Barrister Uche Nnadi, the APP is one of the not-too-prominent political parties in Nigeria. It, however, has elephant as its emblem which symbolises power, resilience, and the ability to overcome obstacles.
APP had, however, collapsed structure for the PDP presidential candidate in 2023, even though it remained one of the 18 political parties that were given the greenlight by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to contest in the 2023 presidential election. This occurred a week to the 2023 General Election. The party had joined four other parties in collapsing their structures into the PDP for Atiku.
But at the end, Atiku lost to President Bola Tinubu, scoring 6,984,520 votes to emerge second behind the winner of the election.
Also, it is worthy of note that popular lawmaker and a well-known member of the House of Representatives, who represents Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo state, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, was APP’s ex-national chairman until November 2020 when he relinquished his position. Ugochinyere joined the PDP afterwards, going on to become a National Assembly member.
Notably, Ugochinyere had waded into the goings–on in Rivers State on Saturday, October 5. In a social media post, Ugochinyere criticised those he alleged wanted to scuttle the Rivers LG election.
He wrote on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle: “Do you know elections are going on today in Benue state where the governor and SGF have issues; in Jigawa state and Akwa Ibom state where the senate president hails from? But, we are hearing about Rivers state because of the greed and political recklessness of one man aided by few judicial and security officers who have abandoned their oath of office.”
According to the constitution of the APP, the party has 13 objectives. Some of its goals are listed below: Creation of Abuja state. National healing and reconciliation with the announcement of results of the June 12, 1993, presidential election. Reservation of 40 percent of all elective and appointive positions for the women and youths.
Furthermore, the APP states in itd constitution that it “will work with other countries, especially African countries and other world powers towards an equitable and peaceful international order and a durable system of common security. It vowed to contribute to the process of global peace.”
APP slogan and catchphrases are used by politicians, political parties, activists, and protestors to express or encourage particular beliefs.
These slogans burn into people’s memories and help represent the candidates and their campaigns in electorate’s minds. The slogan of the APP is: ‘Strong economy; united Nigeria; with a rider: A new Nigeria is possible.’
The APP has not hidden its disposition to help Governor Fubara against hus adversaries. The party has persuaded Governor Fubara to seek re-election under its platform in 2027. Sunny Wokekoro, the chairman of the APP in Rivers state, asserted that the PDP is not a viable option for any politician who means well for Rivers State or Nigeria. He said although Governor Fubara is not a member of the APP, but they see him as a good material to fill the party governorship space. Now the chickens have come to roost, little known APP has floored APC and PDP, which afe considered as heavyweights politically in Nigeria.