By Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt
As the countdown to the February 16, 2019 general election gets underway, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has set up a Peace and Reconciliation Committee to reconcile all members who felt aggrieved following the outcome of the party’s primaries held in 2018.
Speaking while inaugurating a 30-member Peace and Reconciliation Committee at the party’s Secretariat, Aba Road in Port Harcourt on Thursday, State Chairman of the party, Felix Obuah, said the committee was constituted by the leader of the party in the state, Governor Nyesom Wike, after due consultations with stakeholders.
Obuah said with the 2019 general elections around the corner, the party would leave no stone unturned to ensure total victory for the PDP in the state, adding that it becomes imperative to put aside all grievances and ‘pursue our common interest’.
“It therefore becomes necessary to put together our great men and women to carry out this onerous task of uniting members of our great party who are aggrieved for one reason or the other, ahead of this all important election.
“You have been selected as men and women of integrity to reach out to these aggrieved members because every member of our party is important and cannot be overlooked,” he charged members of the committee.
The 30-member committee which has 10 members for each of the three Senatorial Zones in the State, has the Chairman of the Board of the Greater Port Harcourt City Development Authority, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, as Chairman for Rivers South East while Uche Okirigwe serves as Secretary.
For Rivers West Senatorial Zone, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir Austin Opara, was appointed as Chairman with Kingsley Chuku as Secretary.
Former Minister of Sports, Dr. Tammy Danagogo would serve as Chairman for Rivers East Senatorial Zone while Isaac Kamalu serves as Secretary.
Speaking on behalf of the committee for the three Senatorial Zones, Opara thanked Wike and the State PDP Chairman, Obuah for finding them worthy to serve the party in that capacity and assured they would discharge their responsibilities creditably.
He said it is not uncommon that disagreements come after primary elections and power struggles but noted that for every election, a winner is expected to emerge.
“I make bold to say that compared with other States in the country, the Rivers PDP is one of the few states that has come out of the Primaries with less acrimony”, Opara said.
Adding that there is no party assignment that is too small, he again assured the party that the committee would do everything possible to ensure the success of the task given to them.
