By Emeka Aamefula
WHO CONTROLS RIVERS STATE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY-PDP DELEGATES CONGRESSES: REAL TUSSLE FOR 2027 POLITICAL STRUCTURE BEGINS?
The battle for the control of Peoples Democratic party in Rivers state has abruptly brought political activities in the state heightened as the two top politicians Rivers state Governor Siminialayi Fubara and his predecessor in office His Excellency Barrister Nyesom Wike are doing everything possible to outwit each other for political structure at the grassroot with the upcoming Wards, LGAs and state executives and ad hoc delegates’ congresses come July, 2024. This got worse when the Headquarters of PDP in Wadata Plaza Abuja the official operational; base of PDP released names of Caretaker Committee members for 3-months and new names of Rivers state list got national attention which the recently held National Executive Council meeting reportedly took notice of and requested that it should be revisited.
The early morning hours of Wednesday 24th of April, 2024 witnessed the rejection of redeployment and resignation of Professor Zacchaeus Adangor the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice who had spent 5 years in office and was redeployed to Ministry of Special Duties in the Governor’s Office in a memo released by the Secretary-To State Government Dr. Tammy Danagogo who directed two servicing Commissioners Mr. Isaac Kamalu Commissioner for Finance and Professor Zacchaeus Adangor for Attorney general and commissioner for Justice. In his resignation letter addressed to SSG Prof. Adangor bemoaned how his tenure in the last few months had suffered with the Governor refusing to assign cases of Rivers state to him to represent the state in most of these cases in various courts across the country. He accused the governor of not relating with him in manners befitting his office hence he offered to resign from office which he had occupied since the past 5 years. The Andonni Local Government Area born Professor of Law and former law lecturer hails from an area with top Rivers state politicians such as former National Chairman of PDP Prince Uche Secondus, Former Deputy Governor Engr. Tele Ikuru, former State Chairman of All Progressives Congress APC, Davies Ibamu Ikyanya, former Speaker Rivers state House of Assembly and former Commissioners in Rivers state whose political influence and control propelled the emergence of Professor Zaccheus Adangor as one of the powerful Commissioners erstwhile Governor Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike used to launch himself to power in 2015 and in 2019 most contested re-election as second term Governor.
Now, the political structure of PDP in Rivers state is tilted towards the control of the Minister of Federal Capital territory FCT Abuja Nyesom Wike whose loyalists are spread across the 319 electoral wards and 23 Local Government Areas of the state. For instance, the 23 LGAs elected Chairmen and Councillors are 80 percent loyal to Wike. And of the 13 members of the Federal House of Representatives about 10 are loyal to Wike and the 3 Senators are 100 percent loyal to Wike including former Deputy Governor Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo representing Rivers West, Chief Allwell H. Onyesoh representing Rivers East and Chief Barry Mpigi representing Rivers South East senatorial district all have their political apron tied by the Minister of FCT Abuja and are not willing to sabotage his political interest any time any day come 2027 as all will be interested to return in the re-election process come 2027. Therefore, they are coming back to work with Wike in the July, 2024 Wards, LGas and State Congresses with Ad Hoc Delegates. From published statement by the National organizing secretary of PDP Honourable Umar M. Bature submissions of Forms for applications for participation in the wards, LGAs and States’ Congresses held on 21st of June, 2024 in 21 states including Edo, Akwa Ibom,Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna, Sokoto, Jigawa, FCT Abuja, Niger, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Bauchi, Gombe, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti and Ebonyi states. The Wards Electoral Committee, LGas’ Party Executive officials Electoral Committee had been slated to sit immediately; the ward congresses and 3-member Ad Hoc delegates elections will be held on Saturday 29th of June, 2024 while the Appeal Committee will sit on Tuesday 2nd July, 2024.
The Local Government Area Congresses will be held on Saturday 6th of July, 2024 while the Appeal Committee will sit on Tuesday 9th of July 2024. The States Congresses and Ad Hoc delegates elections will be held on Saturday 13th July, 2024. While the Appeal committee will sit on 17th July, 2024 on any dispute coming from the state congresses in the following states Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, FCT Abuja, Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Bauchi, Gombe, Enugu, Imo, Abia, Ogun, Ondo, Ekiti, Ebonyi and Edo.
It is also slated for the meeting of National Working Committee NWC, will hold on Wednesday, 24th July, 2024 as the second National executive Council meeting NEC will be holding on Thursday, August 15th, 2024 to ratify all the elected party executives in all the affected states and wards and Local Government Areas.
For Rivers state PDP is already in the hand of FCT Minister whose stooges and political cronies are strategically positioned such as Aaron Chukwuemeka the acting State Chairman of PDP in Rivers state is from Obio/Akpor Nyesom Wike’s Local government Area of origin and he has been his ally since 1999 to date where he held sway in the headship of Obio/Akpor LGA PDP structure while Wike was Chairman of Obio/Akpor since 1998 to now that he is playing it big in the national political space. The 319 Wards has at least over 300 Councillors loyal to Wike and out of the 23 LGC Chairmen over 19 are loyal to Wike. It is a herculean task for the incumbent Governor Sir Siminialayi Joseph Fubara to upturn this political fortune that favours his political godfather.
But Rivers state gov. Fubara is not resting on his oars as he has organic followership by Rivers state masses who see him as being suppressed by his political godfather Wike. Being the son of a Soldier, he remains disciplined and quiet in his political moves as he shuns press attention a lot. Gov. Siminialyi is Press shy which his political opponents such as All Progressives Congress in the State lead by Acting Chairman Tony Okocha who doubles as Rivers state representative on the Management Board of Niger Delta Development Commission-NDDC is making waves in challenging every political move of Gov. Siminialayi Fubara. Now that Gov. Fubara has severed political loyalty with his godfather by manoeuvring on the 8-Points Presidential Declaration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He fired two Commissioners on Tuesday 23rd of April, 2024 and reneged on representing the 2024 State Budget while the Local government Council elections in Rivers state has remained controversial as National assembly final Act of parliament which mandates Independent national Electoral commission-INEC to take control of conducting election into the 3rd tier of government at the Local Government Area which will be autonomous both in financial and political administration s and this has led to Rivers state House of Assembly vetoing several Laws of Local government Administration in Rivers state. Will the old political war horses of Celestine Omehia, former deputy speaker Austine Opara, Prince Uche secondus and Mrs. Toru Ofili deliver Gov. Siminialayi Fubara in the coming wards, LGAs and States Congresses in Rivers state especially now that the trio of Uche Secondus, Austin Opara and Celestine Omehia are battling the Courts for inclusion in participation in decision making arms of PDP in the national arena?
——————Emeka Amaefula—————-+234(0)8111813069——–
