The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), loyal to the FCT Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, Nyesom Wike, has declared fresh ‘war’ against the state governor, Sim Fubara for swearing in the newly elected local government chairmen from another party.
The local council election, held last Saturday, saw the Action Peoples Party (APP) winning 22 out of 23 chairmanship positions, while the Action Alliance (AA) secured one.
Additionally, the APP claimed victory in 314 out of 319 councillorship seats across the 23 local government areas (LGAs) of Rivers State.
Following the election, Fubara swore in the newly elected council chairmen on Sunday. It is understood that after losing control of the PDP to Wike, Fubara’s supporters shifted their allegiance to the APP.
Reacting, PDP Publicity Secretary, Kenneth Yowika expressed the party’s intention to take legal action, stating that the camp didn’t recognize Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony.
Yowika emphasised that the party had long maintained that the election was illegal, citing a Federal High Court ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, which prohibited the conduct of the council election.
He stressed that the state government’s decision to proceed with the election was a violation of that judgment.
Reiterating the party’s stance on adhering to the rule of law, he described his camp as law-abiding, promising not to engage in physical confrontation with the governor.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Senator Bala Mohammed, has said that his Rivers State counterpart, Governor Fubara has proven himself a true democrat.
Mohammed said Fubara has against all odds, pushed through with decisions and actions to deepen democracy.
Mohammed further said Fubara has done so by being proactive with an open mind and deploying his democratic instincts with strategies to carefully deliver democratic governance at the local government level, irrespective of party allegiance or consideration.
Mohammed, who is also the Governor of Bauchi State, made the remark shortly after he witnessed the swearing-in of 23 democratically elected Rivers State Local Government Council Chairmen at the Executive Chambers of Government House in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, in Port Harcourt on Monday morning and sent to newsmen.
The PDP Governors’ Forum chairman affirmed that Rivers State is a PDP State, even if the just sworn-in local government chairmen and councilors are of different political parties.
He bemoaned the situation, describing it as the problem that they have found themselves both as a party and as governors.
However, Mohammed said Fubara, who is the Vice Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, is still an avowed member of the PDP even though other parties constitute the body of elected officers at the local government level.
Mohammed pointed out why it is inadvisable to ignore a sitting governor at the sub-national level because of the role he plays and the following he commands.
This is why, he insisted, the effrontery to undermine the office and person of Sir Siminalayi Fubara as the Governor of Rivers State is largely not acceptable.
Responding to how soon the PDP will resolve its festering crisis and achieve the desired unity, Governor Mohammed assured that it may seem prolonged but quickly added that true reconciliation was in view.
