VICTOR Giadom, Deputy National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have been shortlisted as the deputy gubernatorial candidate of the party in Rivers State, Elendu Reports has gathered.
Giadom, a former Commissioner for Works in the last four years of Rotimi Amaechi’s second tenure as governor of Rivers State is a first cousin of Sen. Magnus Abe.
Amaechi and Abe who was the Secretary to Rivers State Government from 2007 to 2011 are locked in a bitter battle for the control of the party in the state.
The former chairman of Gokana Local Government is believed to have replaced his cousin, Magnus Abe when he moved to Abuja to represent Rivers East Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly.
However, sources close to Abe and Giadom revealed that the cousins who were very close became estranged when the latter pitched tent in the Amaechi camp.
The selection of Giadom may have been made to placate the Ogoni tribe who are yet to produce a governor in the 50 years of the creation of Rivers state.
Sen. Magnus Abe has consistently made the case that it is injustice that Ogoni people were yet to produce a governor despite their contributions and sacrifices to the development of Rivers State.
His sentiments have found resonance with the Ogonis.
Hon. Azubuike Nwanjoku, a member of the Rivers State House of Assembly and a very close friend of Amaechi had also been touted as a potential deputy gubernatorial candidate.
Tonye Cole, former CEO of Sahara Energy, who is the gubernatorial candidate of the APC in Rivers State is yet to make an official statement on the choice of running mate.
All efforts to reach him and members of his campaign were unsuccessful as at the time of filing this report.