PDP-APC war songs begin afresh in Rivers
·Wike: APC has perfected plans to foment trouble ·Amaechi charges APC members to resist PDP intimidation
THE war-songs in Rivers State politics between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) which had died down in recent times seem to rise again as parties struggle to gain advantage for 2023.
The latest staccato began when a court in Port Harcourt nullified all APC candidates for 2023 to reenact what happened in 2019. The suit by the PDP to disqualify PDP failed because the judge said APC has no right to interfere in another party’s internal affairs. The APC reacted saying the judiciary was procured to harm APC.
Next, the governor rolled out Executive Orders which sought to stop other parties from campaigning or mounting billboards.
The APC announced plans to stage a protest round the state capital against what it calls attempt to run other parties underground.
The governor bounced back and warned to deal ruthlessly against anybody that would step out on the streets to protest anything, saying the state was peaceful.
More, the APC complained that their posters were being removed and their members stopped from gathering in many local areas.
Apparently angered by these, the former Minister of Transportation and leader of the APC in the state, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, urged his supporters to resist intimidation by the PDP and mobilise for victory in next year’s general elections.
Amaechi said next year’s election would not be business as usual for the PDP, urging members of the APC to ensure massive mobilisation across the wards of the State to enthrone good governance.
Amaechi spoke during a tour of Wards in Port Harcourt City Local Government area (PHALGA), on Wednesday.
Addressing supporters in Wards 17 and 8, where he received complaints of attacks by members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on his supporters,
the former Governor said, “Please, do not be intimidated by the PDP. I hear that they were going round to stop you from gathering. You must not allow them to stop you. They can only buy those without character, they are afraid because there is no more writing of results.
“When you see a governor shouting and panicking, it means that he is afraid. If you see the ANAP Foundation poll by Atedo Peterside, it says 37 per cent of Rivers people are undecided, what it means is that they don’t like PDP, they are waiting for APC. So, please go out and mobilise them to support you to win the election. When we win, we will empower our people, we will give scholarships,” Amaechi assured.
Speaking in Wards 5, 2 and 3, Amaechi said, “I decided to go round the wards in PHALGA to see how many you are. You need to do more mobilization for APC to win. If you sit at home, you will not win. PDP cannot win the election because they have not done well.”
But in Wards 1, 12 and 13, the former APC Presidential Aspirant recounted his numerous achievements as governor, noting that he provided equal opportunities for all in terms of employment. He urged his supporters to ensure they vote for all the party’s candidates if they must enjoy the type of democratic dividends derived during his era.
According to him, “These are the first wards where we have visited without issues. The other wards we went to, PDP supporters attacked our members and locked up the halls. So, we had to look for alternative venues. What I have come to do is to energize the party and to tell you that there are benefits in winning. All of us must go out from today to mobilize for victory. If we win, the current poverty you are suffering in the hands of PDP government will reduce. Don’t forget that it was under my government that we built primary schools and we ran free education for eight solid years. We did that because we wanted our parents to divert their monies to other meaningful things. We did the same thing in the health sector, we provided free healthcare, we built a dental hospital, we built five flyovers without noise. We built the Woji flyover, we built the Obiri/ Ikwerre interchange, we built the Agip flyover, we built the Eleme flyover, we built the Eliozu flyover and we built them based on traffic counts.
“We realized that it was more important to build free schools than to build law school for federal government. When I left government, I did not leave government to be buying the whole State, I didn’t buy people’s property, I didn’t seize people’s property, I didn’t abuse anybody, I didn’t lie against anybody, I respected both the young and old because I knew that one day I would leave office. I created employment, I built the banana farm, I built the Songhai farm and I revived Risonpalm. I did all that just to create employment for our people. Today, they have lost control; Rivers State is the highest in terms of unemployment. If you want to enjoy these things again, please go out and mobilise so that we will win,” Amaechi explained.
Also, in wards 20 and 16, Amaechi said, “Don’t accept to be intimidated, use me as an example. In 2015, they tried to stop me and I won. They seized our plane, they stopped me from flying, I had no fears, I stood my grounds. When I was campaigning for Buhari, they were abusing me; today they are the ones saying that Buhari is the best man.”
In Ward 19, Elekahia, he said, “We are touring those wards where they went and bought people who can’t stand hunger, we will win them. There are two reasons why we will win them, God and performance. We are here to assess our wards. When they come to fight you, stand, don’t run away, they will try to intimidate you, don’t allow them. When we win, we will address poverty in the state,” Amaechi stated.
Other areas visited by the former Minister include, Wards, 4,6,7,9,10,11,14,15 and 18.
The next day, the APC called off their plan to hold protest rallies in the state capital.