A new faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has emerged in Rivers State, vowing to implement the January 13, 2025, High Court ruling that nullified the party’s congresses.
Dr. Robinson Ewor, speaking at a press briefing, announced that the faction has taken over the party, with himself as the acting chairman and Dr. Feild Nkor as the acting secretary.
According to Dr Ewor, the tenure of the substantive party executives expired in August 2024, and the national party leadership gave a three-month extension.
However, former Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, allegedly altered the list and imposed Aaron Chukwuemeka as the acting chairman, contrary to the party’s directive.
The faction claimed that Wike’s actions were an anomaly and not in the spirit of the party’s transition.
They also alleged that Wike and his loyalists conducted congresses at the ward, local government, and state levels, producing Chukwuemeka as chairman, despite a court order.
Dr Ewor stated that the High Court ruling has restored the party to its original owners, with Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the leader.
He called on the national party executives to implement the court ruling and hand over the party’s reins to Governor Fubara.
Consequently, Ewor announced that Wike and his loyalists, including Chukwuemeka and Martin Amaewhule, were no longer members of the party alleging they had defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) giving their fraternity with the APC.
He also assured Nigerians that the party is now in the hands of genuine PDP members, not Wike and his cohorts who want to trade it to APC.
He also announced that the faction has three vice chairmen, representing Rivers West, Rivers East, and Rivers South East, explaining that since the ruling and nature abhors a vacuum, he as the vice chairman of Rivers West, was eminently qualified to pilot the affairs of the party in an acting capacity until proper congresses are conducted.
The faction has called on Rivers people and Nigerians to trust Governor Fubara, who they believe will deliver on his mandate.
They also urged the national party executives to trust the governor and hand over the party to him.
In a bold move, Ewor announced that the faction would move to the party secretariat Thursday morning to take over the party. With this development, the PDP crisis in Rivers State has taken a new turn, and it remains to be seen how the national party leadership will respond.
“We have taken over our party from members of the APC, which Nyesom Wike and his criminal gang handed over the party to, we have taken over. Today, the party is in the hands of PDP members, not APC members,” Dr Ewor declared.
“What this judgement means to us is that the party is being restored to the original owners. The party is restored to the leader of the party, the Governor of the state, Fubara,” he added.
“We are calling on the National party executives to as a matter of urgency implement to the letter the judgment of the Rivers State High Court. To as a matter of urgency hand over all the reins of the party to the leader of the party at the state level who is the Governor of the state,” Dr. Ewor emphasized.
