The governorship candidate of Accord Party in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has insisted that he is the recognised and officially-endorsed candidate of the party, both by the National Working Commitee, leadership of the party and the Independent National Electoral Commission,INEC.
At a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday, the oil magnate, accused the Governor of the State and Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Nyesom Wike, is responsible for the crisis rocking his party, because he is afraid of his defeat which is eminent due to his abysmal performance in governance.
Lulu-Briggs said: “We state in very strong terms that we are aware that this case (by Baridoo) is another dubious shenanigan by Wike, who is afraid to go into any legitimate contest in the forthcoming Rivers State governorship election and he is doing everything possible, including sponsoring court cases against strong opponents, in order to achieve his primitive ambition to contest the 2019 governorship election against himself alone.
“Wike’s connection in this dubious act is buttressed by the fact that Baridoo’s counsel, Wori N. Wori Esq, is from the law firm of Emmanuel Aguma, SAN, the deceased immediate past Attorney-General to Wike.
“Baridoo got elected as Rivers Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), months after his purported nomination as Accord Party’s governorship candidate, a position known to be occupied only by the cronies of the governor.
“We are at a loss to fathom how Baridoo, who claims to have resigned as Rivers State Accord Party’s Chairman to contest the October 4, 2018 governorship primaries could be elected a month after (in November 2018), as the State Chairman of IPAC, a position reserved only for party chairmen. It is obvious that Baridoo and his paymaster, Wike, are out to insult the intelligence of Rivers people.
“They said Baridoo, who has since been disowned by the Accord Party’s National Working Committee (NWC), was appointed into the caretaker committee of Khana LGA of Rivers State by the Wike-led PDP government.
“During the recent PDP’s presidential rally at Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, Baridoo did not only declare support for the PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, he led 56 so-called governorship candidates to step down for Wike and endorsed him for a second term.
My quest to liberate Rivers State from the shackles of wicked politicians, who want to continue to punish and impoverish our men and women, instigate our youths into violence and bloodshed and deny our children quality education, is still on track.
“Dumo Lulu-Briggs is still in the race by the grace of God. I have no godfather, but God the father and by the grace of God and the will of Rivers people, we shall triumph and start the process to secure the future of every Rivers man, woman and child.”
He however urged Rivers people to be law abiding and continue to support Accord as a political party.
