Rivers PDP Denies Meddling In APC Crisis, Alleges Smear Campaign

The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed claims by some members of the All Progressives Congress that its state Chairman, Amb. Desmond Akawor, was hobnobbing with a faction led by Senator Magnus Abe to fuel crises in the party.
The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Sydney Gbara, made the denial in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.
Gbara was reacting to the claim by two members of the APC from Ward 7 in Asari-Toru Local Government Area and Ward 4 in Opobo/Nkoro Council respectively in the state, noting where the APC stalwart claimed they were invited to a meeting in a former Attorney general of the state, Wogu Boms’ residence in Port Harcourt.
He described the accusations as false and malicious, saying it was a planned attempt to embarrass the state PDP chairman.
The statement reads,” “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, has been drawn to a Press Conference addressed by two unknown individuals who claimed to be members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Ward 7 in Asari-Toru local government area and Ward 4 in Opobo/Nkoro LGA respectively.
“The two, in the video that is viral on the media, tried putting up a concocted story of how they and other members of their Party were invited to a meeting in Barr. Nwogu Bom’s residence in Port Harcourt, where they were asked to sign an affidavit to join the Suit instituted by Senator Magnus Abe’s faction, asking for the nullification of the State, Local Government and ward Congresses held in the state a few months ago, accusing the faction of the APC loyal to the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of hijacking the congress materials and not allowing them (Abe’s Faction) to participate in the exercise.
“We believe that this false story of a meeting between the Senator Magnus Abe’s group and the PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Amb. Desmond Akawor, was wilfully and maliciously planned to embarrass the person of the PDP Chairman,” he stated.
He further said, “PDP is not afraid to face the APC, in the forthcoming general election in 2023, which will warrant it to initiate moves to destabilise them so that they will not be on the ballot.