For the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, there seems to be no end to the crisis that has bedeviled the party before the 2019 general elections that pitched the Minister of Transportation and former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, and Senator Magnus Abe over the leadership of the party in the state.
Although the national secretariat of the party through the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee set up to reconcile all factions within the party across the country and also conduct convention, in preparation for the 2023 general elections, the APC in Rivers state remains irreconcilable.
There have been various political clashes between the two factions in the state, this has hindered the party from playing the opposition roll expected in the state. Of recent, the faction loyal to Senator Abe warned that there is no group in the state that is monopoly of violence.
This comes after recent attack on members of the APC faction by armed men in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state. The Acting chairman of the faction, Golden Ben-Chioma, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt, said the attack is a clear indication that someone was afraid of the existence of the faction.
“As a party, we have frowned at it. We have made a complaint at the necessary security tables. As I speak with you, investigation is ongoing. But it only shows you one thing. We’re the victim of such thing. You ask yourself, who is perpetrating harm to us? Are we a threat to anybody? The answer is “yes”. It, therefore, means somebody is threatened by our existence.
“But we are law-abiding. Nobody has a monopoly of violence. Everybody on this earth will pass away. Only God and the earth would remain. So, let no man claim to be strong,” he said.
He said the party believed in all-inclusive leadership and was opposed to autocracy.
“We are starting afresh and we want to make sure that our party is still in existence in the state. Party politics is jaw-jaw not war-war. If you feel offended with our actions and inactions, come over, we tell you the reasons. If you convince us, we agree with you. It is a party not a personal issue.”
Meanwhile the governor of the state, Nyelsom Wike, has also taken a swipe at the part in the state.
Due to the intraparty crisis that has plagued the opposition in the state, the governor said the non-stop inauguration of completed projects in the state has silenced critics and members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).
The governor said this at the commissioning of Abonnema Ring Road in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers, by former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.
The governor said instead of the APC to encourage their governors to roll out projects for inauguration as done by People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors, they were hiding under the guise of speaking for local contracting firms to attack him.
He described allegation that his administration had refused to empower local contracting firms to handle projects in the state as sheer falsehood.
The governor said some of the projects inaugurated in the state were executed by local contracting firms.
“You see how we have silenced them in the state. We commissioned projects until December 24, 2020. We have started this year since January 4, 2021. Let them tell their people to roll out their projects and call people,” he said.
“Members of the APC have said I should mention those whom, locally, we have empowered. O.K. Isokariari Company is a Rivers company; they did phase one of Okochiri road and this Abonnema Ring road.
“Lubrik Construction Company Limited is a local company too. As we go on, we will begin to mention them. Our own is not to develop others without developing our own people. I am happy with the contractor. We will continue to engage you, so that you will employ Rivers sons and daughters.”
He said his administration was mindful of empowering Rivers people, encouraging and trusting them to handle some critical projects because he believed in their capacity.
The governor said the PDP was different from APC because it keeps its promises to the people; delivers good governance and quality projects that satisfy the yearnings of the people.
“For us as a party and government, whatever promises we make we must fulfil them. We are not a party that promises and fails or gives excuses. We are a party that when we make a promise, we must fulfil the promise because we owe it to the people. That is why I have told our people, we have no choice, that the only hope this country has today is the PDP.”
He stated that the ring road now serves as an alternative route in and out of Abonnema and Obonoma towns.
He announced that the adjoining mangrove would be dredged to provide land to people of Abonnema and Obonoma to use for future development.
Ekweremadu said by executing projects in the hinterland land other than the city, the Wike-led administration had demonstrated equity and justice to Rivers people.
He said other political leaders should learn lessons from the series of projects inauguration in Rivers by Wike. He said they should get inspiration and replicate such developmental projects in their states and at the national level.
