Rivers State PDP Governorship Aspirants Bemoan Patience Jonathan’s Interference in Party Politics
Members of the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, aspiring to be the party’s gubernatorial candidate have called for the ward congresses of the party scheduled for this weekend to be cancelled.
Leaders of the campaign teams of sixteen of the aspirants decided this after a meeting in Port Harcourt, noting that the planned ward congresses were filled with flaws and breach of many procedures.
Spokesperson of the groups, Sotonye Iynye Dagogo, also said that the first lady of the country, Dame Patience Jonathan has been causing rifts in the party by openly endorsing a particular candidate for the governorship position.
“The campaign organisations of the aspirants have noted the processes leading to the ward delegates elections scheduled Saturday 1st November, 2014. Our party the PDP has breached the procedures that should lead to the ward congresses which include open registration, authentication of the party registers at ward level and display of party register as stipulated in the party constitution.
“As a group, we had raised issues about the illegality of the state Working Committee and wrote a memorandum to the Integration committee set up by the National Working Committee in this regard. It is on record that our members were assaulted by thugs of a governorship aspirant and the ugly incident was widely reported in the mass media. It is unfortunate that nothing has been done till date.
“We want to put it on record that the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan has publicly endorsed an aspirant. The First Lady has also approached some of the aspirants to step down and even invited them to dinner/meeting in the Presidential Villa.
“We have constrained ourselves from addressing the unacceptable and unfortunate interference of the First Lady in the affairs of the Rivers state PDP because of the enormous respect we have for our son, President Goodluck Jonathan. But we want to say that enough is enough.
“We want to put it on record that the National Chairman of our party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu came to Port Harcourt and said that Wike is on course with his governorship ambition. The state Secretary of the party, Ibibia Walter was on air referring to aspirants who have collected PDP forms as APC agents.
“To make matters worse, membership of the Ward congress Committee and the Appeal Panel are made up of known cronies of Prince Uche Secondus and Nyesom Wike. This cannot guarantee a level playing field.
“We therefore, call for the postponement of the Ward congresses until these grievances are addressed to avert dire consequences that could affect the fortunes of the PDP in Rivers state”.
