Ambassador Fubara Dagogo, Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Assembly Forum (ASAF), has officially declared his intention to contest the chairmanship of Bonny Local Government Area in the upcoming council elections.
Dagogo made the declaration on Thursday during a visit to a founding member of the APC at the Presidential Villa. According to him, the decision follows growing calls from stakeholders and members of the 2023 Presidential Campaign Council for Bola Tinubu, urging him to run.
His declaration comes amid reports that the Tony Okocha-led faction of the Rivers APC has allegedly aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to field consensus candidates across the state’s 24 local government areas. The development stems from Okocha’s lack of judicial recognition as the legitimate state chairman of the APC.
In contrast, the Emeka Beke-led faction has appealed to the APC’s new National Chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) to affirm Beke’s leadership in Rivers. During a courtesy visit to Professor Nentawe Yilwatda at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Beke confirmed that the sale of nomination forms would commence Friday, reaffirming the party’s full participation in the August 30 council polls.
Expressing his readiness, Fubara emphasized the APC’s growing influence in Rivers, particularly in Bonny LGA, and vowed not to cede the council to the PDP. He said his ambition was a response to consistent calls from constituents and stakeholders urging him to reclaim Bonny from entrenched political interests.
“I have consulted widely with party stakeholders across Rivers and beyond. My aspiration is driven by a genuine desire to restore Bonny’s dignity and progress,” he stated.
He decried the prolonged infrastructural neglect in Bonny despite its resource wealth, asserting that the council deserves better governance and development.
“The APC has come a long way in Bonny and across Rivers State. We won’t let the sacrifices of our members be undermined by compromised actors within our ranks,” he declared.
“We have built solid grassroots support and are confident of victory. Our focus is to consolidate past gains and prepare the APC for a decisive win in the 2027 general elections under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he added
Ambassador Dagogo is a long-standing member of the APC and has contested various elections under the party’s platform, including councilorship and chairmanship bids in 2011 and 2014, and the Rivers State House of Assembly seat for Bonny Constituency in 2019.
