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Kingsley Chinda, a member of the house of representatives, has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket for Rivers state ahead of the 2027 elections.
Chinda, a former minority leader of the green chamber and sole contestant, was declared the winner of the APC primary poll in the state on Thursday by Bitrus Kwamoti, chairman of the election committee.
Kwamoti said Chinda, who represents Obio/Akpor federal constituency, secured 268,497 votes.
Speaking after the exercise, Chinda, an ally of Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said if elected governor, he would govern with “fear of God and respect for the rule of law”.
“Rivers people should expect sincerity in governance and proper accountability. Peaceful and progressive Rivers state is coming again,” he said.
On Wednesday, Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers, Tonye Cole, a businessman, and Dax George-Kelly, a former commissioner for works, withdrew from the APC governorship primary.
Fubara said he stepped down from the primary contest out of conviction and sacrifice for the state to move forward in peace and unity.
Last week, the APC screened Fubara and Chinda for the APC gubernatorial primary.
Fubara, who appeared visibly downcast as he walked out of the screening venue, declined to speak with journalists, fuelling speculation that the committee had disqualified him.
The APC screening committee had disqualified dozens of Fubara associates in the Rivers state house of assembly primaries but cleared aspirants loyal to Wike.
Fubara and Wike have been embroiled in a protracted power tussle that culminated in attempts to impeach the governor.
Most of the Rivers lawmakers who endorsed the impeachment process against Fubara are Wike allies.
The FCT minister had vowed to oppose Fubara’s re-election bid after accusing the governor of violating the peace agreement they both signed at the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
