What is PDP’s Position in Rivers Crisis?

Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, last week regretted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has failed the people of the state in the face of the lingering political crisis. Speaking while hosting a delegation of the Senate Committee on Privatisation and Commercialisation in Government House in Port Harcourt, he took a swipe at the PDP, saying that the party leadership had not played the role expected of it since the political crisis began.

Fubara said the state would no longer be held back by party affiliation, but would instead stand firm on its own soil to defend democracy.

He said: “In our State today we are no longer doing party. We are doing a movement; so, you don’t blame me if I don’t go to the side of the party too much. The party has failed us here; so, what we are doing here is to stand with our two legs on the soil of Rivers State, so that we can defend democracy.”

If one may really ask: What is the position of the PDP in the crisis rocking the state? Why are they standing aloof?  What manner of a party will throw its governor under the bus so cheaply. Where is the PDP Governors’ Forum? Not a single has come out from them since last year.

However, many political analysts believe there is no genuine PDP in the political leadership of the state as both the structures of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the state were originally designed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike to work for the ruling party at the centre.

 Wike was said to have sidelined genuine PDP members led by a former National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus and established a PDP structure allegedly loyal to the APC.

Many analysts therefore believe that the current PDP-led government in the state is APC in disguise.

Could that be the reason the acting National Chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, has not even scheduled a solidarity visit to the governor?

Little wonder in April, 60 members of the House of Representatives led by the PDP member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, demanded the resignation of Damagum, for failing to address the political crisis in Rivers State.