…Roll The Drum As They Rally Support For ‘Worthy Son’
As the race to the 2023 general election gathers momentum, the governorship flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Amaopu Siminilaye Fubara has continued to receive support from different quarters across the state, even as his kinsmen in Opobo Kingdom have thrown their weight behind his candidacy.
Speaking at the grand finale of the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI) Sensitization and Collection of PVC Rally in Opobo Town on Saturday, some chiefs, title citizens, opinion molders as well as other respected sons across Opobo Kingdom reiterated that the emergence of Amaopu Senibo Sim Fubara as the PDP standard bearer for next year governorship election in the State is a historic feat, stating they also wish to be part of the history.
Under the aegis of ‘Opobo Elder Statesmen 4 SIM’, Chairman of the group, Alabo Edwin Cockeye Brown said they were at the event to sensitize the people of Opobo on the need to collect their PVCs and use them to vote for their son as the next governor of Rivers State, come 2023.
While commending the GDI for painstakingly touring the 23 local government areas of the state for the campaign, Alabo Brown, a Justice of the Peace as well as chief of the Brown War Canoe House of Opobo, stressed that the group is non-partisan but made up of men of impeccable integrity whose sole objective is to further the advancement of Opobo Kingdom.
“Electoral victory is determined by the active participation of the electorates. This can only be achieved through conscious participation of the citizenry, not only in voters registration exercise but also in the collection of their voters cards”, he said while pledging the commitment of the entire War Canoe Houses in Opobo Kingdom to drive the initiative of ensuring that the PVCs are collected and put into productive use.
On his part, the Chairman of the Board of Opobo Elder Statesmen 4 SIM, Alabo (Dr.) Reuben Mietamuno Jaja said the massive turnout of people for the event showed the solidarity of not only the people of Opobo and Nkoro but the entire Rivers people, for the candidacy of Siminialayi Fubara.
He appealed to the people to understand the need to exercise their civic responsibility which he said, can only be exercised by collecting their PVCs.
Also speaking, Alabo Prince Charles Douglas Macpepple Jaja said as traditional rulers, they have come in their numbers for the GDI sensitization, adding that they would not chicken away from lending every support needed by their son to enable him emerges as next governor of the state.
The group’s Director of Operations, Senibo (Dr.) Donald Afanya Brown, in his contributions, stressed that they are predominated by Opobians who appreciate the PDP’s guber candidate and are working tirelessly to ensure the actualization of his dream.
He however noted that the group was careful in selecting its membership, as they do not want those who are politically exposed in their midst.
Senibo Donald Brown further disclosed that as traditional rulers, they have come in their numbers for the GDI sensitization, adding that they would not chicken away from lending every support needed by their son to enable him become the next governor of the state.
In his comments, Alabo Godwin Nengia Omoni Bupo, expressed joy that Opobo and Nkoro people have demonstrated their readiness to collect their PVCs and are merely waiting for election day to vote for their son, Amaopu Senibo Sim Fubara, adding that this is the first time in the political arrangement of the state that Opobo elders and statesmen have come in their numbers for a common cause.
Similarly, another member of the group, Alabo (Sir) Dr. Justus Clinton Captain said that in politics, opportunities come and go.
His words, “And for us as Opobians, and particularly for some of us who are Alapo Council members, though we don’t play politics because we are restricted by our constitution from playing politics, but we are here today not on any political platform but simply here to support our own son whom God has graciously given an opportunity to be the flag bearer of his political party. That is why we are here – to give him that support.
“It is our own decision and conviction to support our son irrespective of his party. Let me put on the simpler side, as far as Opobo is concerned now, we have dissolved all parties into one party which is the ‘Sim Party’.
“However, since everyone is a political animal, when you are in a political environment, you don’t extricate yourself completely. We hope that if he wins, he will bring development to our community. That’s our common prayer”.
According to Amaopu Senibo (Dr.) Adagogo Brown, KSC, the group was there to give support to their brother and our son, Amaopu Senibo Sim Joseph Fubara who, by God’s special grace, has received the flag to bear as the ‘incoming governor of Rivers State’.
“We are all political animals, as they say in political philosophy. Even in your homes, there is politics by the way you manage your wife and children, to avoid unnecessary rancor , is all politics.
“And so, we are all politically aware of what is before us, and that is why we have put every sentiment aside to actualize what we now call an Opobo Project, our community project because we have attained a reasonable level of political consciousness”, he noted.
Amaopu Senibo (Sir) William Park is the Managing Director of a security firm in Port Harcourt.
He said: “What we are here for is sensitization. The civic responsibility we have is that you should have your voter’s card and you should also go to vote for any person you are supporting. So, no matter how much you love the person you want to vote for, if you don’t have your PVC, it comes to nothing. And so, because this is the grand finale of sensitization programme, we are here to show our support because it is our civic duty, and that is what democracy is all about.
“This is not the first time that our son is coming out. But this is the first time that we have somebody coming out with this kind of total support. I can say that he has 95% of people from the Kingdom supporting him, and we believe that between now and election time, we shall have 99% supporting him”.
