Briga News Nigeria
On Thursday 12th January, 2024, the Rivers State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP paid Governor Siminialayi Fubara a Solidarity visit at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
During the visit Governor Fubara demonstrated the qualities of true fatherhood by admonishing the Acting Chairman of the party, Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron to go and put his house in order.
That directive was not only timely but appropriate, especially when the former Governor, now FCT Minister still considered himself the leader and owner of the party structure even after leaving office as Governor, something many viewed as an aberration.
For a fact, the present Executive of the Party has since after the failed impeachment attempt on the Governor became openly divided as to who the leader of the party in the state is.
Some key members of the Exco, including the Acting Chairman who is from the same local government area with the FCT Minister as at today still see Former Governor Wike as the party leader.
The Acting Chairman has been so vocal about this at every given opportunity or forum.
Hon Aaron has never hidden his stance on this as he has consistently maintained that Nyesom Wike is the leader of the party in the state, and that they are ready to do whatever he says and go wherever he goes.
However, another group within the Party Exco is opposed to the position of the Acting Chairman and his gang on PDP leadership and structure
This group is insisting
that since 1999 that the PDP has been in control of the State, the incumbent Governor remained the leader of the party and that that position cannot change neither is it negotiable in Siminialayi Fubara’s time.
This is the crux of the matter in the party state Exco
The sudden removal of the Party’s State Chairman, Ambassador Desmond Akawor and his subsequentl replacement with Hon Chukwuemeka Aaron, may not be unconnected with Wike’s inordinate desperation to remain the PDP leader in the state.
Ambassador Desmond Akawor, the former PDP Chairman is from Oyigbo , the same Senatorial District with the Governor and Oyigbo has close historical affinity with the Opobos (Ndokis in Oyigbo and the Ibanis in Bonny and Opobo are brothers).
Hence the suspicion that Akawor may not have the temerity when it comes to taking decisions on matters considered to affect Governor Siminialayi Fubara negatively
This suspicion must have been responsible for the systematic easing out of Ambassador Akawor from the party headship with his nomination for a Federal appointment
It is worthy of note however that even with all the abracadabra, Wike is seriously loosing ground and relevance among Rivers people who are of the view that Wike should leave Sim Fubara alone to enjoy those privileges he enjoyed as Governor including but not limited to party leadership and control of party structure.
As we speak there are obviously two groups in the PDP State Exco; one loyal to the FCT Minister and another to the State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, and except those opposed to the leadership of Siminialayi Fubara in the State PDP Exco wake up to the reality that the tide has changed, the State Exco would remain polarized until the next Congress which is about 4 months away.
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The directive by Governor Siminialayi Fubara to the Acting PDP Chairman to go and put his house in order is indeed imperative, proper and timely, because “a house divided against itself cannot stand”.
Paul Deeyah Former Director News Radio Rivers and former SA Media to immediate past PDP Chairman writes from the hospitable City of Sii in Khana LGA.
