The Rivers South-East Senatorial candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), Dr. Fabeke Douglas, has rejected the party’s reported decision to join the Rainbow Coalition, accusing the state chairman, Dumbari Nwigbarato, of taking the decision without consulting party members.
Douglas stated his position in a letter addressed to Nwigbarato on Tuesday, October 27, in which he distanced himself from the coalition and expressed displeasure over what he described as a series of unilateral decisions affecting the party’s structure and candidates.
In the letter titled “My Stand Against the Rainbow Coalition,” Douglas said he learnt through the media that the party had joined the coalition, adding that he was not consulted before the announcement.
He argued that, as the party’s duly elected state leader, he ought to have been involved in strategic decisions affecting the party, in line with its constitution and established leadership structure.
Douglas also alleged that candidates who participated in the party’s primary election and contributed to its growth had been secretly removed from the candidates’ list without his knowledge or input.
He further claimed that some local government area (LGA) chairmen had been removed following the announcement of the party’s decision to join the coalition.
The senatorial candidate said he had exhausted internal channels of communication with the state chairman and the national leadership over the issues but had yet to receive a satisfactory response.
Douglas also stated that he had personally financed the party’s activities from ward and local government congresses to the state level, including providing support to the state secretariat and its leadership.
He alleged that the coalition arrangement was part of a strategy to weaken his senatorial candidacy, adding that he had documented video and photographic evidence of party meetings and activities.
Describing the development as a departure from the principles of internal democracy, Douglas called on Nwigbarato to reconsider his position and address the grievances to preserve the unity and integrity of the party.
He emphasised that political decisions should be guided by the party’s constitution, due process and respect for members who had contributed to building its structure.
While acknowledging his longstanding relationship with the state chairman, whom he described as a brother from Ogoni, Douglas warned that he might take further steps to protect what he called the mandate of the people if candidates and party members continued to be sidelined without due process.
He urged Nwigbarato to reflect on their shared history and act in the overall interest of the party.
