An All Progressives Congress, APC Rivers state gubernatorial aspirant, Mr. Bernard Mikko says no endorsement has been made regarding any elective office in Rivers State.
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Mr. Mikko who is a former House of Representatives member said this in a press briefing in Abuja when he declared his ambition to contest the Rivers state gubernatorial primary on the APC platform.
He noted that endorsement is not the same as consensus and called on the APC to follow the relevant laws if it chooses consensus.
Mr. Mikko further stressed the need for Nigerian leaders to have good knowledge of the constitution adding that his experience in the National Assembly makes him the best aspirant to be the party’s flag bearer.
“As a Legislator, I am conversant with the qualification for the office of a State Governor as enshrined in section 177 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended) and also in sync with the provisions of Article 20 iv(v) of the APC Constitution (October 2014 As Amended) which upholds the principle of Federal Character, gender balance, geopolitical spread and rotation of offices to ensure justice, equity and fairness within and between the constituency covered. The import and relevance of Article 20 of the APC Constitution is strategically underscored by provisions of sections 14(3&4), 16(2c) and 17(1, 2a, b, c and 3a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria” Mikko said.
Mr. Mikko while noting the challenges in Rivers state, enumerated his plans to change the state in areas such as transportation, environment, health among others.
“We will rigorously tackle the problem of urban blight, particularly the environmental degradation and the hazardous air pollution that has turned our traditional garden city into an unfortunate garbage city and our natural heritage an endangered ecosystem. The acid rain and black sooth that we are forced to contend with in past few years is a clear evidence of environmental terrorism meted out on our people, while all efforts of seeking redress and remediation as recommended in the UNEP report had not been adequately addressed.
“As we yearn for cleaner environment, comprehensive family health care system will be introduced to tackle maternal and infant mortality while also enforcing public hygiene and modern health care protocols” Mikko said.
