A former member of the House of Representatives, Farah Dagogo, has secured the governorship ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election in Rivers State.
Mr Dagogo emerged winner after the party conducted direct primaries across the 319 wards in the state’s 23 local government areas. He scored 64,700 votes to defeat his closest rival, Sokonte Davies, who polled 9,050 votes.
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The result was announced by the chairperson of the ADC Rivers State Governorship Primary Electoral Committee, Agu Bryan, in the presence of other committee members and representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Mr Bryan stated that the exercise complied with the party’s constitution and guidelines, adding that Mr Dagogo fulfilled all conditions required to emerge as the party’s flag bearer.
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Reacting to his victory, Mr Dagogo thanked party members for the confidence reposed in him and described the outcome as a collective triumph for ADC supporters and residents of Rivers State seeking a new direction for the state.
He added that the contest was keenly fought by several qualified aspirants and stressed that the outcome should not divide members of the party.
“There is no victor and no vanquished. We are all partners united by a shared vision to reposition Rivers State for progress and prosperity,” he stated.
Mr Dagogo urged residents of the state to embrace unity and work collectively towards building a safer and economically viable Rivers State.
According to him, his administration, if elected, would focus on consolidating the achievements of previous administrations while addressing existing shortcomings.
He listed former governors of the state, including Alfred Diete-Spiff, Ada George, Peter Odili, Rotimi Amaechi, Nyesom Wike and Siminalayi Fubara as leaders whose contributions would serve as reference points for future development.
“We are determined to build upon the legacies of past administrations from the foundational leadership of Commander Alfred Diete-Spiff, to Chief Ada George, Dr. Peter Odili, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Nyesom Wike, and Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
“We will learn from their successes, improve upon their shortcomings, and chart a new course that prioritises sustainable development and people-centred governance, ” he said.
He also pledged to run an issue-based campaign centred on security, education, youth empowerment, healthcare, and job creation.
“We will not engage in mudslinging or divisive politics. Our focus will be on practical solutions and policies that can improve the lives of Rivers people,” he said.
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Earlier before the primary election, governorship aspirants met to deliberate on the exercise, with two of the seven contestants stepping down in support of Gabriel Pidomson, a former member of the Rivers State House of Assembly and former Secretary to the Rivers State Government.
Following the withdrawals, five aspirants contested for the ticket. They included Mr Dagogo, Mr Pidomson, Mr Davies, Leloonu Nwibubasa and Allen Hart.
Meanwhile, the ADC had earlier rolled out its timetable for the 2027 general elections. The party commenced its primaries on 21 May with National Assembly and State House of Assembly contests.
Governorship primaries were held on 22 May, while the presidential primary is expected to hold on 23 May. The party also fixed its National Executive Committee meeting for 25 May and its Special National Convention for 26 May.
