PDP Plans Reception for over 8,000 Suspected APC Defectors

By Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has said it will hold a mega rally receive more than 8,000 persons who defected to the party from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s Chief Political Strategist, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh.

A statement issued yesterday by Mr. Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the State PDP Chairman, Mr. Felix Obuah, said: “The PDP position follows endless list of decampees from the APC to the PDP in Rivers State, the latest of which include the former Governor Rotimi Amaechi’s Chief Political Strategist, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, leading other chieftains of the APC back to the PDP.

“Emeh’s bold move has further opened the door for over 8000 decampees from the APC across the 23 local government areas of the state, the latest members of the APC decampees came from Asari-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas of the state, respectively.”

The statement noted that Emeh, a former Senior Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Commissioner for Transport and Aviation during Governor Peter Odili administration and Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, is a grassroots mobiliser, lawyer and Chartered Accountant, who has since his return to the PDP, coordinated the daily defections of members and leaders of the APC to the PDP.

He listed some of the defectors to include the over 200 former councillors of the APC who were sacked by the court; former SA to Amaechi on Internal Revenue, Nwankwo Nwankwo; former Commissioner for Culture under Rotimi Amaechi, Sunny Nwokekoro; APC Leader in ONELGA, Merino Okiraija; former Chairman of Emohua LGA, Bob Okala, and numerous non-indigenes residing in the various LGAs who left the APC, amongst others. 

“These are clear indications that the APC structure in the state has collapsed,” he said.

The PDP Chairman disclosed that Governor Nyesom Wike would formally receive the APC defectors on Thursday.

Obuah announced this when he received APC defectors from Akuku-Toru (AKULGA) and Degema Local Government Areas (DELGA).

The leader of the defectors from Akulga who was a former leader of the LGA Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosama Amachree, at the event, accused Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and Councillors of the APC into instituting legal action against the government Wike as a gimmick to make the State ungovernable.

According to Amachree, whose scores of supporters turned the occasion into gyration amid singing and dancing, during the travails of former council chairman, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, some of them fled to Abuja where they hoped to get succour from Amaechi who is Rivers APC Leader and Minister for Transportation.

“But when we met Amaechi, our leader in Abuja and told him of our predicament and requested his assistance to get accommodation, he bluntly told us “If you don’t have accommodation why did you have to come to me.  Am I the landlord of Abuja,” said Amachree who is reputed for his grassroots followership.

Another ‘big fish’ caught by the PDP dragnet was the Vice Chairman in Degema LGA, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma, who stormed the PDP Secretariat with hundreds of supporters.

The soft-spoken APC leader who handed his councillorship certificate of return to State PDP Chairman, Obuah, for destruction, said he was now enjoying genuine peace since he took the decision to dump the APC.

The statement said: “As a consequence of the massive defection that is hitting the APC in Rivers State with Chief Emeh Glory Emeh who was the engine room and their Councillors who have all deserted the party, where then is the base and strength of the APC in Rivers State?

“It is on this premise that PDP believes that the only remnants, which include Rotimi Amaechi, Dakuku Peterside, Magnus Abe, Chris Fynebone, the Abuja-based party Chairman, Davies Ikanya, and their errand boys, are only holding on because of shame and fear of not being re-admitted under the PDP umbrella.”

He said, “PDP State Chairman, Bro. Obuah therefore, assures the ill-fated members of the APC sinking boat to take advantage of the spacious and well-ventilated ‘umbrella’ to commence the process of their home-coming, as the party is ready to receive them, if they genuinely repent of their sins against Rivers people and be ready to key into the development vision and good governance championed by Governor Nyesom Wike in the State.”

Obuah assured the defectors of proper treatment and enjoyment of all rights and privileges available in the party, without discrimination.

He also disclosed that some former commissioners who served under Amaechi, as well as some of his personal aides, including some leaders of the State APC have also indicated interest to decamp to the PDP and participate in the reception party scheduled for Thursday in Port Harcourt.

But in a swift reaction, the state chapter of the APC said those defecting to the PDP were rejected members of the APC.

The state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Finebone, said in a statement he issued in Port Harcourt that the PDP was merely presenting APC rejects as defectors.

He said, “Let it be on record that important APC stakeholders in Asari-Toru LGA have a dossier on the romance between Orolosama Amachree and the PDP in ASALGA over time. This culminated in a meeting they all held with Gov. Nyesom Wike on December 8, 2016 in Government House, Port Harcourt. Subsequently, the APC placed surveillance on Orolosama while APC members in ASALGA distanced themselves from him especially in view of his treacherous behaviour during the December 10 rerun elections.

“It is laughable to hear Chief Glory Emeh refer to APC as party of lies and propaganda. In due time, a public presentation of the series of his lies and propaganda against his present master will be made to help the public judge who between APC and Chief Emeh revels more in propaganda.

“Therefore, Orolosama Amachree formally pitching camp with the PDP is long expected and he is not likely to refrain from his penchant for easy money which has become very dire of late. On that account we believe it is good riddance to bad rubbish especially to the APC stakeholders in ASALGA who have endured and tolerated Orolosama’s antics for too long.”

He said, “True members of APC will continue to remain true to the party and its ideals while persons who place pecuniary interests above anything else are free to go scrounge for crumbs under Caesar’s table.”

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