International media personality, Donu Kogbara, has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his alleged support for another Ikwerre candidate in the Rivers State governorship race.
Kogbara said it was insensitive for Wike to back Ogundu Kingsley Chinda as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
She stated this on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television.
PrimeTimes Nigeria had earlier reported that Chinda, an ally of Wike, had on Thursday emerged as the APC governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kogbara described Chinda as a good person but said he should not have accepted the governorship ticket.
“Kingsley Chinda is a nice man, but I feel he should have rejected the offer to become the APC governorship candidate from Wike because it’s wrong,” she said.
She argued that Rivers State had produced several governors from the Ikwerre ethnic group and that another Ikwerre candidate should not be promoted at this time.
“Chinda comes from more or less the same village as Wike. We have had three or four Ikwerre governors. Chinda is Ikwerre as well,” Kogbara said.
‘Ogoni Yet To Produce Governor’
Kogbara said the Ogoni people had not produced a governor, deputy governor, speaker or chief judge in Rivers State.
“It’s insensitive for Wike to bring another Ikwerre candidate. There’s never been an Ogoni governor, deputy governor, speaker, or chief judge in Rivers State,” she said.
She said her opposition to Chinda’s candidacy was not personal but based on what she described as ethical considerations.
Kogbara added, “I’m going to fight Chinda over this governorship thing. It’s not personal because I like him, but for ethical reasons, Chinda should have refused to play this role.
“He knows it’s not his turn. His ethnic group’s turn.”