As waves of defections continue to blow in the All Progressives Congress,
APC, in Rivers State, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, says its umbrella
is large enough to accommodate everyone, including leaders of the APC, who
decide to come back home to join the development-sensitive government
under Gov. Nyesom Wike.
The PDP position follows endless list of decampees from the APC to the PDP
in Rivers State, the latest of which include the former Governor Rotimi
Amaechi’s Chief Political Strategist, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, leading other
chieftains of the APC back to the PDP.
Chief Emeh’s bold move has further opened the door for over 8000 decampees
from the APC across the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, the latest
members of the APC decampees came from Asari-Toru and Degema Local
Government Areas of the State, respectively.
Chief Emeh Glory Emeh was a former Senior Special Adviser on Media and
Strategy, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner for
Transport and Aviation during Governor Odili administration and Chief of
Staff, Rivers State Government House. He is a grassroots mobilizer,
lawyer and Chartered Accountant, who has since his return to the PDP,
coordinated the daily defections of members and leaders of the APC to the
PDP, some of which include the over 200 former Councilors of the APC, who
were sacked by the Court, former SA to Amaechi on Internal Revenue,
Nwankwo Nwankwo, former Commissioner for Culture under Rotimi Amaechi,
Sunny Nwokekoro, APC Leader in ONELGA, Merino Okiraija, former Chairman of
Emohua LGA, Bob Okala, and numerous non-indigenes residing in the various
LGAs who left the APC, amongst others. These are clear indications that
the APC structure in the State has collapsed.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP in Rivers, Bro. Felix Obuah has told a
crowd at the party’s State Secretariat on Thursday that all is now set for
the official reception of over 8000 decampees from the APC. The event
shall hold on Thursday, April 13, 2017 in Port Harcourt.
The PDP Chairman disclosed that Governor Wike will formally receive the
APC decampees.
Bro. Obuah announced this when he received APC decampees from Akuku-Toru
and Degema Local Government Areas.
The leader of the decampees from Akulga who was a former leader of the LGA
Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosama Amachree, at the event, accused
former Governor Rotimi Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and
Councilors of the APC into instituting legal action against the government
of Chief (Barr) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike as a gimmick to make the State
ungovernable.
According to Amachree whose scores of supporters turned the occasion into
gyration amid singing and dancing, the violent activities of former
Council Chairman, Ojukaye Flag Amachree had plunged the area into crisis
which rendered his followers homeless, prompting them to flee to Abuja
where they hoped to get succor from Amaechi who is Rivers APC Leader and
Minister for Transportation.
“But when we met Amaechi, our leader in Abuja and told him of our
predicament and requested his assistance to get accommodation, he bluntly
told us “If you don’t have accommodation why did you have to come to me.
Am I the landlord of Abuja”, said Amachree who is reputed for his
grassroots followership.
Another ‘big fish’ caught by the PDP dragnet was the Vice Chairman in
Degema LGA, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma who stormed the PDP Secretariat with
hundreds of supporters.
The soft-spoken APC leader who handed his councillorship certificate of
return to State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah for destruction, said he
was now enjoying genuine peace since he took the decision to dump the APC.
As a consequence of the massive defection that is hitting the APC in
Rivers State with Chief Emeh Glory Emeh who was the engine room and their
Councilors who have all deserted the party, where then is the base and
strength of the APC in Rivers State?
It is on this premise that PDP believes that the only remnants, which
include Rotimi Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Magnus Abe, Chris Fynebone, the
Abuja-based party Chairman, Davies Ikanya, and their errand boys, are only
holding on because of shame and fear of not being re-admitted under the
PDP umbrella.
PDP State Chairman, Bro. Obuah therefore, assures the ill-fated members of
the APC sinking boat to take advantage of the spacious and well-ventilated
‘umbrella’ to commence the process of their home-coming, as the party is
ready to receive them, if they genuinely repent of their sins against
Rivers people and be ready to key into the development vision and good
governance championed by Gov. Nyesom Wike in the State.
Bro. Obuah again welcomes all the former APC members, who have refused to
be further deceived and obstructed by Amaechi and his allies, from coming
back to the PDP, assuring them of proper treatment and enjoyment of all
rights and privileges available in the party, without discrimination.
The Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro Obuah also announced that some former
commissioners who served under Rotimi Amaechi as well as some of his
personal aides, including some leaders of the State APC have also
indicated interest to decamp to the PDP and participate in the reception
party on Thursday in Port Harcourt.