The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday, expressed shock at the statement credited to Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State that Rivers and Akwa Ibom States are very strategic to the All Progressives Congress, even as it called on the governor to steer clear of the state.
Okorocha, who held a breakfast meeting with journalists in Owerri, the Imo State capital Tuesday, was quoted as saying “the electorate in the two states voted overwhelmingly for the APC but their votes were stolen by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through various forms of electoral malpractices”.
Reacting to the comment by the APC Governors’ Forum chairman, the Rivers PDP chairman, Felix Obuah, in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needam, said “Governor Okorocha’s revelation is an eloquent collaboration of a similar recent pronouncement by the APC Chairman in the State, Davies Ikanya that the APC-led federal government cannot afford to lose Rivers State”.
According to the statement, “Governor Okorocha, who blew the lid off the bottle while addressing newsmen after the meeting of APC Governors, said the desperation of the party to take over the two South/South States is because they won the April 11, 2015 governorship elections in the two States but were robbed by the PDP.
“Even though Okorocha who has allegedly converted Imo State to a family estate did not explain how his APC intends to actualize the plot, the PDP State Chairman warned him and his fellow plotters to steer clear of the State as the Rivers people are prepared to resist any unlawful means to snatch the mandate given to Gov. Wike.
“Bro. Obuah advised the governor of crisis ridden Imo State to engage his time to solve the myriad of problems he has foisted on the Imo people that have turned the historic Sam Mbakwe nation to a mere shadow of its glorious past.
“To before warned is to be armed, the PDP State boss stressed, calling the whole world to take note of those to hold responsible for any eventual mayhem that may befall the State and defenceless Rivers people.
“Bro. Obuah however noted, that notwithstanding the evil plot of trampling on the laws of the land and the people’s rights to usurp power in Rivers State, Okorocha has unwittingly admitted in the first instance that governorship election afterall, took place in the State, a sharp contrast to the claim of the APC in the State and before the State governorship election petitions tribunal.
“Even though the Rivers people are more than ready to defend their mandate willingly and fairly given to Governor Nyesom Wike, the PDP State Chairman wants the entire Nigerians to take note of the grand plot to cause crisis in the polity and demand to know whether such witch-hunt, forceful usurpation of power and executive lawlessness are what the CHANGE mantra of President Buhari is all about”.
“While we place our trust in God and believe that the truth will prevail in the face of the unprecedented plot against the will of the people, we make bold to say that the Rivers people are waiting and cannot be intimidated”, Obuah declared.
