Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has accused the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government of using discredited politicians to destabilize the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Gov. Wike said that because the APC is crumbling, the Federal Government has resorted to sponsor the Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, to cause a leadership crisis in the opposition party.
Wike made the assertion on Thursday at the Sharks Stadium, Port Harcourt, where he received 8,000 members of the APC who defected to the state chapter of the PDP.
He said that the rumors that the PDP was in crisis were orchestrated by the APC which is bent on destroying PDP in the country.
The governor declared that the PDP keeps growing amidst serious distractions, stressing that God would always intervene whenever the party is under serious attacks from opposition parties.
Wike said: “Let me tell you so that nobody will start telling you different stories. There is no crisis in PDP. What the Federal Government is doing is because they have seen that the APC is crumbling and they want to cause crisis in PDP by using Sheriff.”
“I can tell you to relax. We believe in God and He has never disappointed his children. With the problems of Rivers State, God will intervene. So, we will continue with what we are doing in the state; we will not be distracted and nobody will distract us. They thought they will distract us but they are shocked that we are not even bothered about what they are doing. We are still moving forward”.
To the decampees, Wike said: “This time you have taken out today will not be in vain. Continue to be loyal to the leadership of the party which is very important. As I said before, there will be no discrimination. I have told the party chairman to ensure that you are fully integrated and that everybody should be treated equally.”
In his remark, the former PDP National Acting Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, welcomed the defectors and their leaders back to the PDP. He said that with the numbers of APC members that have defected to PDP, the APC has crumbled in the state.
He advised all PDP members to protect their votes during the 2019 elections in the state, stressing that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will no longer be allowed to write the results of Rivers elections from Abuja.
Earlier, the state PDP Chairmen, Mr. Felix Obuah, disclosed that 7,800 decampees were present at the stadium to be officially received by Governor Wike into the PDP. He added that the figure was higher.
Among those received by Wike were Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, over 200 former councillors of the APC; the former Commissioner for Culture under Rotimi Amaechi’s administration, Sunny Wokekoro; the APC leader in ONELGA, Merino Okiraija; former Chairman of Emohua LGA, Bob Okala; APC leader in ASALGA, Hon. Orolosama Amachree; the former Chairman of Ahoada East LGA, Chief Cassidy, and many others.