Poised to contribute its quota in the agenda setting drive and ensure candidates for the most sensitive position in the State share their governance blueprints with the electorate, the Nigeria Union Journalists (NUJ) is set host a governorship debate in Rivers State.  

Chairman of the NUJ Rivers State Council, Stanley Job, who disclosed this on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 during a press conference held at the Ernest Ikoli Press Center, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, announced that seven candidates are billed to feature at the debate billed to hold on Friday, March 3, 2023.

The candidates are Dumo Lulu Briggs, Accord Party, Dawari Ibietela George, Action Alliance, Tonye Cole, All Progressives Congress, Tekena Iyagba, Boot Party, Siminialayi Fubara, Peoples Democratic Party, Magnus Abe, Social Democratic Party, and Beatrice Itubo, Labour Party.

Job further disclosed that the venue will be the Ernest Ikoli Press Center, which is also the NUJ State Secretariat, and will be livestreamed on various platforms such as television and radio stations and across social media platforms.

According to him, letters were sent to all the 22 governorship candidates in the states out of which polls were conducted across various platforms and the candidates with the highest votes were picked.

“This is in response to the mandate of NUJ Congress of journalists in Rivers state, the need to examine and interrogate for the man or woman that comes to give what he or she does not have, we are glad to report that we have got credible and formidable partners such as News-Africa London and Kebetkache Nigeria, television station and some radio stations have offered to air the debate live while new TV and radio stations are ready to give full coverage.”

“Journalists have been asking questions all their lives and we are ready to do our job in the direction in the most professional and unbiased way, the date remains March 3rd, 2023 and venue is the NUJ press center where we are; we assure you of a successful outing.”

“This is the summary of voting process, over 5,000 voters across all channels via text messages, Telegram, Facebook and emails have been closed on voting.”  

Also speaking, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for the debate, Elder Ignatius Chukwu added that “the NUJ is taking up its responsibility as the one who speaks for everybody. So, the debate is organized to hold the government accountable to everybody and not some sectors”.

“Investors, entrepreneurs, they concentrate in a large percentage of the time to the area of their interest, taxation, if you take over, will you over tax us, they are facts, but what is that body and who are those people who have to speak for everybody, community persons, disabled persons, girl child, widows, who cannot afford to organize a debate in order to force government attention, it is only NUJ.”

“So, if we abandon it totally, a day shall come when the governors will only be accountable to sectors and not everybody, so I’m saying this so that you will understand that every single journalist in Rivers state should be proud that this is a battle to take back our responsibility.”