Rivers Guber: 17 PDP Aspirants May Defect To APC …As Panel Declares Wike Winner

Executive Director, Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA), Mr Noble Pepple (left) exchanging documents with Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technlogy, Akure, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, during the signing of MOU between the RSSDA and the institution, yesterday in Port Harcourt. Photo: Ibioye Diama

Seventeen out of the 24 aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) may defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other parties.
The Tide learnt that the aspirants boycotted the primaries and expressed disappointment to the national leadership of the party who refused to address  their complaints before the primaries.
It was learnt that the aspirants last week protested in the streets of Abuja, calling on the National leadership of the party to postpone the primary in Rivers State until such a time when their complaints had been addressed. Since the 1st November delegate primaries, the aspirants have been protesting against the leadership and composition of the party in the state, but the national leadership was yet to take a stand on the issues.
In a statement after the primaries in Port Harcourt, Prince Tonye Princewill said the PDP Governorship primary was designed to abuse the 17 aspirants from the Riverine Ijaw and the Ogonis.
Princewill regretted that his party, the  PDP had taken sides to support the former Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike and believed that the former minister was bigger than the people.
According to him, “The role of the party leadership in this ugly incident will never be forgotten and rightly so. From national to state level, Rivers people were let down again and again and again. Each and every one of them who were behind it will pay for this. In this life or the next. My prayer is that God’s judgement will never escape them.  As for my supporters and I, we will announce our next decision very very shortly. Having seen the writing on the wall far far back, we received calls from several political parties to pursue the option of running under the banner of one of the more viable ones with a high quality Kalabari/Ogoni ticket so as not to deny the people of the state, the real choice they deserve.
Wike and Dakuku, two Amaechi boys, are not a choice, they are a smart imposition and Rivers people should be given the real option to reject them. I have no reason to waste my valuable time appealing the primary, as the father of a gorilla is still a gorilla. PDP deserves Wike and I believe they should have him. If my judgement is right, Rivers people are more interested in the person, than the party. In 2015, they will show the world how fed up they are of the big political parties. My question is do I give them a different choice? What do I do? Since my mission is not for my benefit, let me ask those who I want to serve. Your wish is my command”, he said.
Also speaking, Barrister Nimi Walson-Jack regretted that despite his observations and complaints about the hijack of the State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party by an ethnic non- governmental organisation, propagating the agenda of a person who masqueraded an orchestrated plan to be Governor under building support and fighting for Mr. President; conscious or unconscious subjugation of the PDP to personal interest; oppressive administration of the Party; the flaunted partisanship of State Party officers in favour of an aspirant; refusal to register new party members; and unconstitutional composition of Ward, Local Government and State Executives of the Party, I have continued to believe that justice would be done within the PDP.
According to him, “At each turn, those charged with responsibilities for remedying the situation just refused to take action. Even the national leadership is yet to release and act on the report of a National Integration Committee (South-South), which was set up to address numerous complaints by aggrieved members.
“Against this background, the Wards Congresses were scheduled. I protested and requested the National Chairman and Secretary to postpone the Congresses in Rivers State pending the outcome of the report of the National Integration Committee. That request was not honoured and the Congresses were purported to have been held. Thereafter, 15 other aspirants and I called for their cancellation. In response, the National leadership of our Party reconvened the National Integration Committee (South-South), which took more evidence from the aggrieved parties. Their report, submitted to the National Working committee, has since remained unattended to.
“Despite interventions from PDP founding fathers and mothers and elder of Rivers State, our great Party has refused to address the complaints. Yet we are expected to participate in the Governorship Primary Election.
Given the choice of participating in the Primary Election and losing the right to complain about the process on the one hand; and abstaining and holding the moral high ground against injustice and oppression on the other hand, some of my colleagues and I have chosen to stay away from the Primary election. The whole exercise is a sham with a determined outcome. I would not lend credence to an illegality”, he said.
Chief Nyesom Wike, Monday emerged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State.
Wike, who immediately gave his acceptance speech after the result of the primary, polled 1,083 votes, while Dumbari Dimkpa came a distant second with 21 votes.
West Ibinabo got three votes while Emmanuel Georgewill and Lee Maeba got one vote each.