Dumo Lulu-Briggs and Blessing Fubara, are awaiting the official declaration of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) National Working Committee following the party’s governorship primary election in Rivers State.
Both men emerged as the leading contenders for the party’s governorship ticket ahead of the 2027 election. However, results reportedly collated at the state level indicate that Lulu-Briggs secured a decisive victory over Fubara in the primary contest.
Despite the alleged outcome, the result has yet to be formally announced by the party’s national leadership, prompting anticipation among supporters of both aspirants.
Sources within the party disclosed that while supporters of the oil magnate are confident of victory, allies of Blessing Fubara are continuing efforts to advance his candidature pending an official pronouncement from the party headquarters.
A senior party official in Rivers State, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the results collated locally showed Lulu-Briggs emerging victorious.
“We were not allowed to announce the result after the collation in Rivers State. We were asked to transmit it to the national headquarters and wait for the decision of the national leadership of the party,” the source said.
“But going by the result we collated, Dumo Lulu-Briggs scored more votes. However, we will wait for the national headquarters to announce it.”
When contacted, the party’s chairman in Rivers State, Success Jack, declined to disclose the outcome of the primary election, insisting that only the national leadership was authorised to make such an announcement.
“The national headquarters said we should send the result to them, and we did. They are the ones who will announce it,” he stated.
Party insiders indicated that disagreements arising from the primary process prompted the leadership to convene a reconciliation meeting aimed at preserving unity within the party.
Speaking on the development, Lulu-Briggs confirmed that the meeting brought together members of the State Working Committee and all governorship aspirants to discuss the way forward.
According to him, the gathering provided an opportunity for party stakeholders to reflect on the primary process and reaffirm their commitment to the party’s broader objectives.
“The Nigeria Democratic Congress brought us together for one purpose: to look each other in the eye after a primary season, speak honestly, and recommit to something larger than any one of us,” he said.
“No primary process is perfect. Ours was not. But what we cannot afford, what Rivers State cannot afford, is to hand our opponents the victory they could never win at the ballot box by simply watching us turn on each other.”
Lulu-Briggs stressed the importance of party cohesion ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that internal divisions could undermine the party’s chances of electoral success.
“The true beneficiaries of a divided party are always our political opponents. That is not a theory; it is history. So I called on every aspirant, every supporter, every committed member of the NDC to put personal grievances aside and fix their eyes on 2027. The stakes are too high and the moment too important for anything less,” he added.
The governorship aspirant also commended the party’s state leadership for expanding its organisational structure across the 23 local government areas of Rivers State.
He specifically praised State Chairman Success Jack and members of the State Executive Committee for strengthening the party’s grassroots presence through ward and unit-level mobilisation.
According to Lulu-Briggs, such foundational work will be critical to the party’s prospects in future elections.
The delay in announcing the primary result has heightened political interest within the state, with party members and observers awaiting a final decision from the NDC National Working Committee.
As the party moves to resolve internal disagreements and consolidate support ahead of the 2027 governorship election, attention remains focused on Abuja, where the official outcome of the Rivers primary is expected to be announced.
Leave a comment