Over three hundred members of the All Progressives Congress APC from across Rivers state under the auspices of Grassroots Movement of Rivers State on Thursday 29th September, 2022 defected from their former party to the Peoples Democratic Party.
The decampees led by the Coordinator of the group, Norisha Pepple who made the renunciation at the PDP Headquarters in Port Harcourt, said their decision was informed by the quality leadership Governor Wike is giving to Rivers people.
Norisha People said their action was also in solidarity with their Patron, George Tolofari who had earlier moved to the PDP, assuring that they would do all it take to ensure victory for PDP candidates in the 2023 elections in the state.
Speaking earlier, the Patron of the group, George Tolofari reiterated that members of the various political parties in the state, especially the APC were coming to the PDP in their numbers due to the exceptional leadership qualities of Governor Nyesom Wike.
According to Tolofari he left the APC because the PDP which he described as a credible party has found an Ibani son worthy to fly its Gubernatorial flag, saying that the gesture was more than edifying to him.
Receiving the decampees, State Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor hailed them for the bold and courageous step taken to dump their former party, saying that they could not have done otherwise following the failed promises by the leader of the APC in the state.
“You were once PDP members before somebody gave you sweet talks and told you that it will be one naira to a dollar, that there will be a deep sea port in Bonny, that there will be railway lines from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri, and you waited and you didn’t see those things, and you said no, the only thing you need to do is to come back home because the man that made a promise that there will be Oil and Gas Polytechnic in Bonny made it happen. The man that told you that Bonny National Grammar School will be rebuilt, made it happen. And for that reason you need to follow the man wey know road, and the man who has spoken before and it hapoened”, Akawor stated.
Quoting the statements of Akwa Ibom state Governor, Udom Emmanuel, recently, “All politics is local, leave Abuja and go to your state to deliver your party”, Ambassador Akawor maintained that that is exactly what the PDP in the state is doing.
He urged that there is basically something that the PDP has that the other political parties dont have, which accounted for the mass movement from them to the Peoples Democratic Party.
He also used the forum to explain that the Governorship candidate of the party, Siminialayi Fubara emerged on the basis of fairness, justice and equity to the three Senatorial districts of the state.
“Ordinarily, go and check the voting strength, you will see that it would have been difficult for an Ibani man to be Governor but because there has to be fairness, everybody has to be fair to the other and there has to be equity and justice. The same cry our leader is crying at the national level that we should all be fair to one another. Not because you think you have the number, others should be muzzled, others should be squeezed out. If not for such decision, it should have been difficult for an Ibani son to emerge as govetnor because the number is not there”, he said.
Ambassador Akawor enjoined the people at the grassroots to support what the leadership of the state is doing and the party to receive those who are returning to it because the other party had totally collapsed
While commending Governor Nyesom Wike for making Rivers people proud through his exemplary leadership qualities and exceptional performance, the state PDP Chairman called on the people to support the Governor to achieve a sucessful transition.
The decampees were thereafter received formally by the Chairman and the entire leadership of the party after being presented with the Umbrella, the symbol of the PDP.
The Secretary of the Party, Dr Benibo George expressed gratitude to the returnees for their conviction that the PDP was the only credible alternative, following the failure of the APC in the state.
He observed that the returnees have also demonstrated good followership by aligning with the decision of their leader to join the PDP.
Representatives of the three Senatorial districts and the women delivered solidarity speeches at the event, collaborating their readiness to add value and not only numbers to the PDP.
Paul Deeyah
SA Media to
PDP Chairman
Rivers State
29/9/2022
