ADC Chieftain Urges Support for Ogoni Governor in Rivers State

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Joe Korka-Waadah, has called for the election of an Ogoni-born governor in Rivers State in 2027, urging key figures like Senator Magnus Abe to support this objective.

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While we respect the Senator’s long career in the corridors of power, we must state clearly that the line between deliberate coordination and permanent political procrastination has become blurred in his narrative.

Korka-Waadah, a political management consultant, expressed frustration with what he described as a pattern of "political procrastination" that has benefited individuals through appointments in Abuja while the collective aspirations of the people remain unfulfilled. He specifically addressed Senator Abe, an ally of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike, suggesting that Abe's emphasis on "long-term planning" has sidelined the Ogoni people and other ethnic groups within Rivers State.

"How much longer must the people wait? Another eight years? Another generation?" Korka-Waadah questioned, arguing that true political strategy involves recognizing and seizing opportunities. He characterized the current situation as one of "profound conflict fatigue" due to proxy wars between dominant factions and fractured party structures.

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For over a decade, the Rivers’ people and the Ogoni nationality in particular have been sold the promise of a strategic roadmap that somehow always terminates in Abuja appointments for one man, while leaving the collective aspiration of the people stranded at the starting line.

He presented Dr. Gabriel Pidomson's candidacy on the ADC platform not as an emotional reaction, but as a deliberate strategy to challenge a centralized system that he believes dictates the destiny of Rivers State's 7 million residents through the alternation of power between just two individuals. Korka-Waadah dismissed suggestions that the grassroots enthusiasm for Pidomson is mere emotional mobilization, asserting it is based on "cold, hard data" from professionals, youth, market women, and elders.

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Dr. Gabriel Pidomson’s emergence on the platform of the African Democratic Congress is not an emotional outburst. It is a masterclass in independent political strategy.

While congratulating Senator Abe on his appointment to the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Korka-Waadah advised him to leverage his experience for the sector's benefit. However, he stressed that regarding Rivers State's governance, the time for change has arrived.

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Senator Abe speaks of long-term planning as if the political marginalisation of ethnic nationalities in Rivers State just began yesterday. How much longer must the people wait? Another eight years? Another generation?