Rivers APC Dismisses Rumours Of Crisis

The All Progressives  Con
gress  (APC), Rivers State chapter, has dismissed rumours of a brewing crisis in its ranks, declaring that the party remains focused and united more than ever.
The party in a statement on Friday declared that there is no iota of truth in the rumour of disaffection between its governorship candidate in the 2015 election, Dr Dakuku Peterside, and the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mrs Ibim Semenitari.
The party urged its members and supporters, as well as the good people of Rivers State and the general public to ignore the rumour of disaffection,  saying it was part of the strategies adopted by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to shore up its image ahead of the forthcoming Assembly re-run election.
“The statement  was laughable and unintelligent attempt by the PDP to blackmail Mrs Semenitari for accompanying the visiting Senate delegation to the Niger Delta on a courtesy visit to Governor Nyesom Wike at the Government House, Port Harcourt, on Wednesday.”
According to him, “how can the performance of a simple official duty by the Acting NDDC Managing Director amount to disloyalty to APC and a fictional quarrel with Dr Peterside over the 2019 governorship ticket: “Many of the distinguished Senators whom Mrs Semenitari escorted to the Government House to see Governor Nyesom Wike are also APC members. So does their visit mean that they are also disloyal to the APC?” the statement asked.
The APC boss said “Mrs Semenitari is an accomplished administrator who knows where to draw the line between her official duties and politics.  As head of NDDC, she has a statutory role that covers the six states of South-South that includes Rivers State plus the two states of Abia and Imo in the South-East and Ondo State in the South-West.”
The Senate is probing the 16 years of NDDC and if the investigating Senators are to visit the Rivers State Governor on issues pertaining to NDDC, are we saying that the Acting NDDC MD should not accompany them because she is an APC chieftain even while most of the Senate Committee members are also APC members?
“For the avoidance of doubt, Rivers State APC leadership, including Dr Peterside, is happy with Mrs Semenitari and proud of her, as her commitment and loyalty to the APC cause has never been in doubt”.