Ahead of the proposed October 5th Local Government area election in Rivers state, a faction of the SIMplified Movement in Bonny Local Government Area has raised the alarm over an alleged series of threats to their candidate, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo.
The SIMplified Movement is the political platform of supporters of Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, amidst the ongoing political crisis in the state.
Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, who is a strong member of the pro-Governor Siminialayi Fubara political movement, is the chairmanship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for Bonny Local Government Area.
Expressing concern over the alleged threats to the life of the NNPP candidate, the Director General of the Fubara Dagogo Campaign Organization, Senibo Victor Ibifiri Allison, JP, disclosed that the former Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Assembly Forum (ASAF) has continued to receive a series of threatening calls. These calls allegedly demand that he either withdraw from the race for the Bonny Local Government Area chairmanship seat or face consequences he “would not like.”
In a statement on Thursday, the campaign DG called on security agencies to intervene and provide adequate security for their candidate. He warned that no amount of threats would deter them in their strong support for Ambassador Fubara Dagogo and his good intentions for a new Bonny.
He dismissed claims by those threatening Fubara that he is not an indigene of the local government area, stating clearly that Fubara is a worthy son of Bonny. He added that the NNPP candidate has consistently advocated for the development and progress of Bonny Local Government Area, noting that he has contested elections several times at both the state and local government levels.
Ibifiri Allison, JP, further noted that the popularity of Ambassador Fubara Dagogo and his well-embraced “New Bonny Agenda” may have caused anxiety among his worried opponents, who have resorted to threats to intimidate him. He added that they remain resolute and focused in their commitment to supporting Fubara Dagogo’s ambition to save Bonny Local Government Area from those who do not have the people’s best interests at heart.
“It has come to our attention that our candidate, Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, has been receiving a series of threatening calls regarding his life from certain quarters. We call on the police and other security agencies to provide security for our candidate and others ahead of the election.
“We know that these calls are part of the intimidation against our candidate as he continues his ward-to-ward campaign, where he has proven his capacity and successfully presented his ‘New Bonny Agenda’ to the appreciation of the people. It is clear that Ambassador Dagogo has become a major contender in the election because he has offered the people a better manifesto and program toward the new Bonny agenda.
“While we alert the security agencies to ensure that nothing happens to our candidate, we also remain resolute in our solid commitment to move Bonny Local Government Area to a new dawn. No level of intimidation can stop this resolve, and we are confident that we will emerge victorious because we all have the best interests of Bonny Local Government Area at heart,” the statement concluded.
