The Governorship Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, has explained why he withdrew his legal challenge against Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s victory in the 2023 Rivers State governorship election, saying the decision was driven by his consideration of the broader Ijaw and state interest.

Lulu-Briggs spoke in Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

He said the circumstances surrounding his governorship contests in 2015, 2019 and 2023 were different.

He noted that while various legal and political issues affected his ambitions in the earlier elections, his decision to withdraw the 2023 case at the Supreme Court followed interventions by the late elder statesman, Pa Edwin Clark, and Fubara.

According to him, Clark personally contacted him and drew his attention to what he described as the strong grassroots support enjoyed by Fubara across Rivers.

Lulu-Briggs said Clark appealed to him to withdraw the case, warning that an annulment of the election could trigger another political crisis in the state.

“He argued that Rivers people would not forgive me if the Supreme Court annulled the election on the strength of my case and the Speaker became Acting Governor,” Lulu-Briggs said.

He said Clark also expressed concern that Fubara might not secure the ticket to contest another election if the political crisis between the governor and his predecessor and political godfather, Chief Nyesom Wike, persisted.

Lulu-Briggs disclosed that following Clark’s intervention, Fubara also personally approached him and appealed to him to withdraw the case.

The NDC candidate said his decision to discontinue the Supreme Court case was in the larger interest of the Ijaw people and Rivers State at the time.

He, however, stressed that withdrawing the case did not amount to abandoning his ambition to govern Rivers.

Lulu-Briggs said he was making the clarification to dispel an impression that he was never serious about his ambition. (The Nation)