Dr. Fabek Douglas, the Rivers South-East Senatorial Candidate of the Action Alliance (AA), has rejected the party’s decision to join the Rainbow Coalition, accusing the state leadership of taking the decision without consultation and allegedly sidelining party members.
Douglas made his position known in a letter addressed to the Rivers State Chairman of the party, Dumbari Nwigbarato, expressing dissatisfaction with what he described as a lack of transparency and disregard for the party’s internal structure.
He said he was not consulted before the party’s reported decision to join the Rainbow Coalition was made public, stressing that, as the duly elected state leader, he ought to have been involved in strategic decisions affecting the party.
Douglas also alleged that some candidates who participated in the party’s primaries and contributed to its growth were secretly removed from the candidates’ list without his knowledge or input.
He further claimed that some local government area chairmen were removed following the announcement of the party’s decision to join the coalition.
The senatorial candidate said he had personally invested in building the party, from ward and local government congresses to the state level, including providing financial support to the state secretariat and its leadership.
According to him, his efforts to resolve the disagreements through internal party channels, including engagement with the state chairman and the national leadership, had yielded no positive results.
“I will not remain silent while genuine members and builders of this party are humiliated, and while the structure we built together is dismantled,” Douglas said in the letter.
He also alleged that there was a strategy to weaken his senatorial ambition through the coalition arrangement, adding that he had documented video and photographic evidence of the party’s meetings and activities.
Douglas, who described Nwigbarato as a brother and fellow Ogoni, said the disagreement was not about personal differences but about respect for due process, party structures and the provisions of the Action Alliance constitution.
He urged the state chairman to reconsider the party’s position and address the grievances, warning that he might be compelled to take further steps if members continued to be sidelined and candidates removed without due process.
“I therefore call on you to retrace your steps and make amends so that we can preserve the brotherhood and integrity of the party,” he stated.
He added that political activities should be guided by good leadership, fairness and respect for established procedures.
Douglas called on the party leadership to reflect on its shared history and take steps to protect the party’s unity and integrity.
