In a fresh political twist, the Labour Party, LP, has withdrawn its petition against the election of Rivers State Governor, Sim Fubara, Africa Today News, New York reports.
Fubara was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 gubernatorial poll in Rivers State which held on the 11th of March.
Beatrice Itubo, the LP’s governorship candidate in the state, revealed the withdrawal of the petition in an interview which was monitored by Africa Today News, New York on Sunday.
Itubo also pledged her support for Fubara’s government for the progress of Rivers State.
Recall that the LP had challenged Fubara’s victory but the Appeal Court sitting in Lagos dismissed its petition and upheld the PDP candidate’s election.
The alignment between Fubara and Itubo is the latest development in the political crisis rocking Rivers State, following a face-off between Fubara and his predecessor, Federal Capital Terrritory, FCT, Minister Nyesom Wike.
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In a related development, a former spokesperson for the Pan-Niger Delta Forum, PANDEF, Anabs Sara-Igbe, has asserted that Governor Fubara of Rivers State actually wanted to resign from his position due to the face-off with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
Sara-Igbe said the intervention of some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stopped Fubara from resigning.
The National Coordinator, South-South Leadership Forum, said Fubara was not fully in control of Rivers State funds.
Speaking with Channels Television, Sara-Igbe said the governor is having difficulties running the state.
According to Sara-Igbe: ‘The money coming from the Federation Account, Wike tied the money to one project or the other.
‘So, when the money comes, it goes to the banks and they collect theirs from it and pay the contractors.
‘Of course, we didn’t even know the cost of the contracts, so when this governor felt, ‘how will I run a government when I don’t have the resources’, the minister became hostile to the governor and the governor said ‘okay, let me resign if that is the case’. The PDP elders prevailed on him not to resign, thinking it would be messy.”
Wike and Fubara have been at loggerheads, which has plunged the state into crisis.