By Philip Ezuma , Port Harcourt
The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum (PDPGF), Senator Bala Mohammed, has said that his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has proven himself a true democrat, who, against all odds, has pushed through with decisions and actions to deepen democracy.
He has done so, Governor Mohammed said, by being proactive with an open mind, deploying his democratic instincts with strategies to carefully deliver democratic governance at the local government level, irrespective of party allegiance or consideration.
Senator Mohammed, who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, made the remark shortly after he witnessed the swearing-in of 23 democratically elected Rivers State Local Government Council Chairmen at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.
The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman affirmed that Rivers State is a PDP State, even if the just sworn-in local government chairmen and councilors are of different political parties.
Governor Mohammed bemoaned the situation, describing it as the problem that they have found themselves both as a party and as governors.
However, Senator Mohammed said Governor Fubara, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, is still an avowed member of the PDP despite the fact that other parties constitute the body of elected officers at the local government level.
He said, “Of course, he is still with us. He’s still a PDP man, and I have to come, on behalf of the Governors, to show solidarity to him for this very proactive democratic instincts that he developed, which is a new manifestation in the political arena in Nigeria; where he had to intensify, and he has to develop strategy to be able to deliver governance, irrespective of party allegiance or party consideration.”
Governor Mohammed stated further: “He didn’t have a structure of the party in the State, for certain reasons, and he had to go out to make sure he allowed other parties to participate within the political space so that there wouldn’t be any vacuum.
“And, I think this is very auspicious, that is very creative and I am very proud of him. And I said, yes, we have lost as a party, and that is why we want to be running away from this.
“Again, he has established himself as a Governor and the pride of all the governors in Nigeria”, he said.
Governor Mohammed pointed to why it is inadvisable to ignore a sitting Governor at the sub-national level because of the role he plays and the following he commands.
Which is why, he insisted, the effrontery to undermine the office and person of Sir Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State is largely not acceptable.