By Emeka Amaefula
PDP CONGRESSES IN RIVERS STATE: HOW WIKE VS FUBARA BATTLE FOR POLITICAL STRUCTURE SET CHANGE OLD RIVALS
With the July 27th 2024 wards, local Government Areas and State Congresses slated to start, the two political gladiators incumbent Governor Siminialayi Fubara and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike are now using the arena of the judiciary to flex muscles in gaining control of political structures in Rivers state. Whereas the immediate past Governor and now FCT Minister Wike before he left office on May 29th, 2023 planted a formidable political structure using his Grass Root development Initiatives-GDI to install his cronies at strategic positions which include 319 elected Ward executives, 23 Local Government Areas executives and state executives all administering the affairs of Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers state. At the expiration of their terms of office an interim executives were also appointed by Nyesom Wike which included his right hand man Aaron Chukwuemeka as Acting State chapter chairman of PDP also a native of Obio/Akpor LGA.
First it was before16th of July, 2024 after Governor Sir Siminialayi Fubara told visiting National Assembly members that PDP National had failed him and his supporters. And On the 16th of July, 2024 a group PDP allies of Governor Siminialayi Fubara led by Caretaker Committee Chairman of Emohua LGA David Chinedu Omereji and others approached a Port Harcourt High Court praying the Court to stop the Wards, LGAs and State congresses with an interlocutory injunction until the determination of the case before the court. And they were obliged with their prayers as the presiding Judge Honourable Justice Sobere Biambo in suit no. PHC/2282/CS/2024 filed against PDP, the party’s National Chairman, the National Financial secretary and others.
In another swift reaction to the use of Port Harcourt High Court to stop the Wards, LGAs and state Congresses in Rivers state, on Tuesday 23rd of July, 2024 the PDP Acting Rivers state Chapter chairman Aaron Chukwuememka loyal to FCT Minister deposed to a Federal capital territory FCT High Court Abuja documents in a suit he and others filed which is a court of coordinate jurisdiction as it ruled in the ex parte motion filed by their lawyers K.O Njemanze SAN as Honourable Justice Lifu ruled that Acting National chairman IIiya Damangum, National secretary Senator Samuel Anyanwu and the National Organizing Secretary Umar Bature to proceed with the conduct of the Wards, LGAs and State congresses as earlier planned in their schedules. Justice Lifu ordered the three National officers of PDP to follow rigidly and honour the provisions of the guidelines adjusted Timetable and schedule of activities duly issued and published all pending the determination of a motion on Notice for interluctory injunction filed along with Motion ex parte. as he warned PDP not to allow any other person who didn’t obtain nomination Form or ad hoc Form within the time stipulated in the guideline from participating in the elective offices of the party or ad hoc or National Delegates’ positions, pending the determination of the motion on Notice had already been filed. He adjourned the matter to 15th of August, 2024.
Before the FCT Abuja High court Ruling, the Congresses had been scheduled to take place on Saturday 27th July, 2024 for all the 319 Wards and on August 2nd, 2024 the 2 Local Government Areas will take their turn in electing party executives with 3 ad hoc delegate officials of PDP while in September 2024 the state executives will emerge during the party’s state congress. And from the look of things delegates of the congresses are not far away from those political supporters of FCT Minister Wike as those supporting Governor Sim Fubara are left in the confused atmosphere whether they will obey the FCT Abuja High Court or they will comply with Port Harcourt high Court ruling which to them came first on the 16th of July, 2024 whereas FCT High Court Ruling came on Tuesday 23rd of July, 2024. Right now there has been skirmishes over who controls the 23 LGAs with Supreme Court judgment that Caretaker Committee administration are no longer legitimate in the administration of Local Government Councils across the 774 LGAs in Nigeria. To this end the Rivers state House of Assembly led by 27 members loyal to FCT Minister with Rt. Honourable martin Chike Amaewhule had called on the police to arrest all the 23 Caretaker Committee chairmen and their members for violating the judgement of the supreme Court of Nigeria.
Meanwhile the Rivers state independent electoral Commission- RVSIEC with retired Honourable Justice Adolphus Enebili as Chairman had fixed elections into the 23 LGAs for Chairmen and Councillors but the opposition political party of All Progressives Congress APC led by Chief tony Okocha told members of the public that his party will not participate in the said October 2024 elections. His reason may not be unconnected that the election is presumed not to be free and fair as he alleged that in his days as Chief of Staff that elections results pertaining to state are written inside Government House and handed over to Rivsiec for announcement.-
——-Emeka Amaefula——————-+234(0)8111813069
