Rivers PDP Opens Door For APC Members …As NWC, Govs Disagree Over Secondus

The Chairman of Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Felix Obuah has urged members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to take advantage of Governor Nyesom Wike’s invitiation to join the party in the collective efforts to move the state forward.
The state PDP chairman made the appeal through a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, in appreciation of Wike’s resolve to be magnanimous in victory, as the best way to appreciate God for His mercies.
Obuah said Wike’s extension of hands of fellowship to the APC was born out of genuine love for all, irrespective of party affiliations, and a burning desire to lift the state from a primordial base of precarious politics to that directed by progressive and patriotic statesmen.
He therefore, enjoined ward chairman of the PDP to take advantage of the governor’s hand of fellowship by accepting APC members willing to join PDP and move the state forward.
The Rivers PDP Chairman assured that members of the APC, who are willing to join PDP, would be accorded due respect and treated fairly.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has defied a directive by the party’s governors, asking the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, to hand over to the National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo.
The governors, in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting in Abuja, Wednesday night, had ordered Secondus to hand over to Oladipo pending the emergence of a substantive chairman to be picked from the Northeast zone.
But the party in a statement issued, yesterday by its National Legal Adviser, Mr. Victor Kwom, insisted that Secondus remains the acting chairman.
The statement said, “The NWC of the PDP wishes to assure all members of the party nationwide that there has not been any change whatsoever in the leadership composition of the party at the national level.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the statutory organs of the party, the NWC, National Caucus, BoT and NEC will be meeting next week to deliberate on some developments including the replacement, from the North East of Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, who resigned as the national chairman of the party.”
The statement added that replacement will be in strict adherence to the provisions of the party’s constitution, as specified in section 47(6).
“Until then, the status quo remains, which means the Deputy National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, remains as the Acting National Chairman.
“Furthermore, it must be reiterated that all relevant stakeholders of our party, including the PDP Governor’s Forum, National Caucus and the Board of Trustees (BoT) as well as our leadership structures at all levels are united behind the current National Working Committee in the efforts to rebuild, reposition and strengthen our party for the challenges ahead,” the statement added.
However, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have asked the party’s Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus to step down.
The governors directed Secondus to hand over the leadership baton to the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo in line with provisions of the party’s constitution.
In a communique issued at the end of a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the governors chided a former presidential adviser, Ahmed Gulak for what they described as his unacceptable conduct.
Gulak had on Wednesday invaded the party secretariat where he declared himself the national chairman of the PDP.
The governors frowned at the refusal of Secondus to respect the judgment of an Abuja high court ordering him to vacate the office for a member from the Northeast zone to take the position.
“We take cognizance of the judgment by the court in Abuja which ordered the acting chairman to vacate office for any other person from the Northeast zone of Nigeria.
“Our party constitution has enough provisions for that and the necessary process has been put in motion,” the communique said.
Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, read the communiqué on behalf of his colleagues.
The governors flayed Gulak’s invasion of the party secretariat where he declared himself national chairman without recourse to the appropriate organs of the party.
“The invasion of the party headquarters by Ahmed Ali Gulak, who reportedly assumed the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party is regrettable and condemnable,” Mimiko said.
According to the governors, the issue of the chairmanship of the party would soon be resolved to enable someone from the North-East complete the tenure of the last national chairman, Adamu Muazu who resigned in May 2015.
“The appropriate organs of the party will meet soonest to elect a national chairman of the party from the appropriate zone,” he said.

Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Dr Austin Tam-George (middle), General Manager, Rivers State Newspaper Corporation, Mr Celestine Ogolo (right),General Manager, RSTV, Pastor Dafini Gogo Abbey (2nd right), General Manager Radio Rivers, Mr Sampson Fiberesima (left) and General Manager, Garden City Radio, Mr Ezekiel Hart, during a press briefng by the commissioner at the Nigerian Union of Journalist Press Centre, Port Harcourt, yesterday