A significant political controversy has erupted within the Rivers State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following a highly disputed governorship primary election. Dr. Allen Idaso Ezekiel-Hart, one of the aspirants, has vehemently rejected the process, accusing former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi, of attempting to impose a preferred candidate.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Ezekiel-Hart characterized the primary exercise as a “shambolic charade,” asserting that the ensuing crisis has led to an unprecedented situation where “three governorship candidates” have emerged within the same party. He directly attributed this anomaly to what he described as Amaechi’s “high-handedness,” alleging, “Right now, we have three governorship candidates in one party, all thanks to Amaechi’s high-handedness.”

The aggrieved aspirant detailed that the party’s official timetable had slated the governorship primary for May 23. However, aspirants were allegedly informed late on a Friday that the exercise had been unexpectedly rescheduled and conducted earlier than planned. Ezekiel-Hart claimed that while he was actively mobilizing his supporters across the 23 local government areas of the state in preparation for the original primary date, fellow aspirant Dr. Farah Dagogo reportedly informed him that a separate, unannounced process had already taken place.

Ezekiel-Hart further alleged that Chief Chukwudi Dimkpa, the Rivers ADC chairman, deliberately invited only five aspirants whom he believed were loyal to Amaechi, explicitly excluding both himself and Dr. Dagogo from participating. He condemned this exercise as a “kangaroo arrangement,” purportedly orchestrated to favor Gabriel P. Thompson, who Ezekiel-Hart claims had long been positioned as Amaechi’s chosen candidate. He further elaborated that three other aspirants were allegedly persuaded to step down for Thompson through a disguised consensus arrangement, which directly contradicted the party’s earlier commitment against the emergence of any consensus candidate.

Adding another layer to the internal conflict, Ezekiel-Hart recounted that Dr. Dagogo later approached him with a proposition for both of them to jointly resist what he termed “Amaechi’s camp.” Simultaneously, Dagogo allegedly requested Ezekiel-Hart to publicly endorse his (Dagogo’s) self-declared victory. Ezekiel-Hart quoted Dagogo saying, “He told me to go on air and congratulate him, saying we are from Atiku Abubakar’s political family and should unite.” Ezekiel-Hart strongly rejected this, stating, “I told him to stop rubbishing Atiku’s name. Atiku will not be part of this nonsense,” and also claimed Dagogo offered him potential political compensation, including the position of Secretary to the State Government, in exchange for his endorsement.

Following his rejection of Dagogo’s proposal, Ezekiel-Hart declared himself the winner of the primary after Dagogo had publicly announced his own victory. He succinctly summarized the chaotic situation: “As it stands, Farah declared himself winner, Thompson was declared winner by the state exco, and I also declared myself winner. Three winners in one primary that was never held. This cannot stand.”

Ezekiel-Hart also expressed his dismay at being sidelined by the Rivers ADC leadership, especially given his assertion that he was the only aspirant who formally notified the party in writing of his intention to contest, providing acknowledged documentation from the party secretariat. He intensified his criticism of Amaechi, accusing him of attempting to perpetuate a culture of political imposition within the state. He rhetorically questioned, “How can someone who is demanding transparent presidential primaries at the national level turn around and impose a governorship candidate in Rivers?”

Beyond the immediate primary dispute, Ezekiel-Hart also criticized Amaechi’s historical role in the 2015 political transition, which he believes contributed to the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan. He asserted, “He owes the South-South an apology for what he did to Jonathan and for mortgaging the political future of this region.”

In response to the crisis, Ezekiel-Hart has called upon the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately nullify the disputed primary exercise. He urged the NWC to either conduct a fresh, transparent primary or adopt a lawful consensus arrangement that aligns with the timetable issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He emphasized the urgency, stating, “The most pragmatic thing now is for the NWC to order a rescheduled primary or quickly adopt a lawful consensus option. Time is running against us.” He also reiterated his caution to Dagogo against repeatedly invoking Atiku Abubakar’s name to support his claim to the ticket, stressing that “Atiku is father to all of us; nobody should claim he is imposing any candidate here.”

Despite his profound grievances, Ezekiel-Hart affirmed his commitment to addressing the matter strictly within the established framework of the party constitution. He declared, “We will exhaust every legal channel within the party. I will not rock the boat unnecessarily, but the party must recognise that I won the primaries.”