3 hours ago
3 ARTICLE AD
The crisis within the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party intensified on Wednesday with the emergence of a factional leadership.
The Chairman of the PDP in Rivers West Senatorial District, Robinson Ewor, declared himself as the acting chairman of the state chapter of the party.
The development followed Monday’s ruling by a Rivers State High Court, presided over by Justice Stephen Jumbo, which nullified the ward, local government, and state congresses conducted by the PDP faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The court also issued a restraining order, preventing the Aaron Chukwuemeka-led executive from presenting themselves as state executive members until the substantive suit is determined.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, Ewor announced that he had taken over the PDP in Rivers State.
He named Dr. Feild Nkor as the acting secretary and unveiled other members of the state caretaker executive committee, including Uranta Humphrey, Sydney Gbara, Victor Pepple, and Emile Solomon.
Flanked by former members of the state working committee removed from the dissolved caretaker committees, Ewor claimed that the court ruling had returned control of the party in Rivers State to its rightful leadership.
He emphasised that his leadership would fully implement the court’s directive, which disqualified Chukwuemeka Aaron, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 others as members of the PDP.
Ewor accused the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his allies of manipulating a directive from the PDP National Secretariat to extend the tenure of former executives.
He argued that this manipulation led to the controversial congresses that produced Chukwuemeka and others loyal to Wike as executives.
“The court barred Aaron Chukwuemeka and others from parading themselves as members and executives of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. This judgment has restored the party to its original owners,” Ewor stated.
He added that the judgment reaffirmed Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the rightful leader of the PDP in Rivers State.
Ewor urged the PDP National Secretariat to recognise Governor Fubara as the leader of the party in Rivers.
He alleged that the Chukwuemeka-led group, alongside Martin Amaewhule and others, had defected to the All Progressives Congress, disqualifying them from holding leadership positions within the PDP.
“They are no longer members of the PDP. There is no way they can lead the party at the state level. The court has restored the party to us, and we have taken over,” Ewor asserted.
