Rivers PDP Congress: 2,000 Supporters May Sue Obuah …As 15 Guber Aspirants Petition Mu’azu

Over 2,000 party members and supporters of the 15 governorship aspirants on the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, who boycotted the party’s ward congresses, held in the 23 local government areas, in Rivers State, last Saturday, have threatened to go to court to challenge the process and the outcome of the congress.
The supporters claimed that they were disenfranchised and prevented from participating in the exercise by officials of the Felix Obuah led state executive which refused to accept their nomination forms even after they travelled to Abuja, the federal capital, to purchase their forms from the party’s national secretariat after officials of the state executive refused to sell forms to them at the party secretariat, along Aba Road, in Port Harcourt.
They insisted that the PDP ward congress held last Saturday was “highlighted by brazen illegalities that was stage-managed by members of the Grassroots Development Initiative, GDI,” in support of the immediate past Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike.
In a press conference at the campaign headquarters of a governorship aspirant, Major Lancelot Anyanya, (rtd), the spokesman of the group Barr. Soalabo West said there were no elections in the various wards across Rivers State, even though attempts were later made in some secret locations to stage-manage what was a GDI ward congresses.
West alleged that “No electoral materials were distributed to the various venues and in certain wards; party faithful who had waited for the conduct of the ward congresses were attacked by members of the GDI when they were prevented from carrying out their stage-managed operations”.
He revealed that members of the panel set up to conduct the ad-hoc ward delegate elections “are too brazenly linked in a very personal way with Chief  Nyesom Wike, an aspirant and his agent-in-chief, Prince Uche Secondus, Deputy National Chairman of the PDP even to the most casual observer”.
He gave a summary of the profile of the members of the ad-hoc panel as follows: Chairman, Dr. Yakubu Gambo, is the incumbent Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, a parastatal under the supervision of Wike as Minister of State for Education, Secretary, Chuks Awiti is the long time personal assistant and alter ego of Prince Secondus who hails from Rivers State and has been a staunch and vocal supporter of Wike’s, “Olu Ayewoh, a member of the panel served as special assistant to Chief Wike while he was minister and still serves as one of his aides. Ayewoh is undisputably known as a close associate of Wike.Alhaji Suleiman Kaura, a member of the panel is currently a member of the Governing Council of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, an appointment directly facilitated by Wike as minister.”
The spokesman also stated that the governorship aspirants, also have no confidence in the 3-man appeal panel because it is “manifestly biased”.
The Chairman, Barr. Afam Okeke, is a personal friend of Wike. Lambert Oparah, a member of the electoral appeal panel has also worked as media aide to Wike as minster and still manages his media portfolio to date”, he disclosed.
West listed other grievances being canvassed by the group of  governorship aspirants to include: “the party does not have properly constituted executive committees in all wards and LGA’s in Rivers State, therefore, process leading to the ad-hoc ward delegate election were not in tandem with the provisions of the PDP constitution and so cannot produce any acceptable outcome”.
“The PDP in Rivers State has not undertaken any registration of new members and did not display party registers at the various wards prior to the conduct of the ward congresses as stipulated by the PDP constitution and guidelines”.  On this score the delegate-aspirants and the group of governorship aspirants have resolved to communicate their grievances to the appellate organs of the party’s leadership structure”.
The delegate-aspirants regretted that all efforts by them to return the nomination forms they purchased in Abuja were frustrated as the Obuah led executive deliberately locked the doors of the state secretariat to prevent them from submitting the forms, adding that “the unelected chairman, Felix Obuah, is a willing accomplice”.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Chairman of the PDP, Obuah, has expressed joy over the peaceful and successful conduct of the ward congresses in 319 wards across the 23 local government areas in the state.
He commended “party members for turning out en-masse to vote delegates of their choice during the ward congresses held on Saturday.
Meanwhile, fifteen Governorship aspirants in the  of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have called for the cancellation of last Saturdays’ ward congress.
The aspirants, Engr Beks Dagogo-Jack, Hon Bernard Mikko, Prof. Don Baridam, Chief Bar. Dumo Lulu Briggs, Hon.Gabriel Pidomson, Major Lancelot Anyanya, Senator Lee Maeba, Bar. Nimi Walson-Jack, Capt Nwankwo Sunday, Hon Oseleye Dannis Ojuka, Chief Paweriso Samuel Horsfall, Engr Sampson Ngarebara, Dr Silva Opusuju, Hon.Tamunosis Gogo Jaja and Prince Tonye T.J.T Princewill said they want the cancellation of the congresses until all grievances are addressed to stop consequences that could affect the fortunes of the party in next year’s election.
The aspirants in a letter addressed to the National leadership of the party faulted the process of the ward delegate elections which they described as the foundation of subsequent primaries.
According to the aspirants, the process was flawed and could not produce an acceptable out come stating that the party in the state breached the constitution of the party and failed to conduct open registration of party members.
They further noted that the party executive failed to authenticate party registration after the Chief Godspower Ake-led executive took away membership registers.
‘’The PDP in Rivers State did not display party registers, a condition precedent to the ward congresses as stipulated in constitution. Due to the defection of members, the party did not complie membership register’’, they said.
They urged the party national leadership to implement the provisions of the party constitution and objectives in chapter 1 item 7.3(c) that guarantees’’ Adherence to the policy of rotation and zoning of party elective offices.
They demanded that the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus should be called to order, stressing that he is supporting a particular aspirant which makes him to lack moral justification to preside over the process of selecting a governorship candidate for the party in Rivers state.
Meanwhile in a separate interview, Prince Tonye Princewill warned the party to avoid anything that will distract President Goodluck Jonathan from his re-election and resolve the issues in the state before it gets out of hand, noting that the congresses has already been done before the last Saturday formality.
‘’The panel had already been settled and the electoral umpire had already been compromised. All their planning was in vain. For them, the congress was an opportunity for the masses to fight and destroy things. They do not care if Rivers people die as long as they win. We do care that is why we stayed clear’’, he noted.
The Head of the panel from the National headquarters, Senator Yakubo Gambo commended the state executive for creating an enabling environment and assured that the party will ensure that it will follow the list from the party in the state in line with the party constitution.
Gambo who handed over the party materials to the Secretary of the party, Chief Ibibia Walter tasked the returning officers to be neutral.

Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Joseph Ajienka (right) receiving a lecture note from the guest lecturer, Prof Ozo Mekiri Ndimele, during the inaugural lecture delivered by the latter at the Ebitimi Banigo Auditorium, Port Harcourt, last Thursday. Photo: Nwiueh Donatus Ken