Some Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have called for the dissolution of the party structures in the state led by Bro. Felix Obuah.
The group under the umbrella of the Concerned Rivers State (PDP) Stakeholders with the name the Rivers Mainstream Coalition, a socio-political organization said the call becomes necessary to move the party forward.
The group made their position known during a press conference on Tuesday, at Delta Hotels, Port Harcourt.
In a statement signed by Prof. Israel Owate a former commissioner in the state said the party has passed through a turbulent state and only a fresh party election can guarantee the party victory in all her elections.
The statement further stated that since the court judgment delivered on 15th May, 2013 that sacked Chief G.U Ake and Hon. Adokiye Oruwari as chairman and secretary of the state PDP and replaced by Bro. Felix Obuah and Hon. Walter Ibibia as chairman and secretary the party has witnessed mass exodus of party members to All Progressives Congress (APC) due to their style of leadership.
The group stated that the said judgment only empowered only the state party chairman and that of the secretary making the party run like a “Limited Liability Company” of those that “incorporated” it in the Abuja High Court.
The Rivers Maintstream Coalition said the running of Rivers State PDP by only a two man executive of Bro. Felix Obuah and Hon. Ibibia Walter is tantamount to destroying the party at all levels since there is no proper membership registers and constituted party officers at the various levels.
“It is believed that those who defected with Governor Rotimi Amaechi took with then the PDP membership registers and confiscated some party officers” the group alleged.
As part of the call for the dissolution of the party executive in the state, the Rivers Mainstream Coalition stated that the two man state working committee has deliberately collapsed Rivers State PDP into the Grassroot Development Initiative (GDI) and organization led by a serving Minister of State from Rivers State.
“The reduction of Rivers PDP into GDI has alienated party members at all levels of the party which has grave implications for the next presidential and governorship elections” the report said.
Another vicious point of the group is the endorsement of the Minister of State for Education by both men especially the suspension and expulsion of members that expressed contrary views as an instrument of intimidation and coercion.
Among some of the demands are, the National executive committee of the party should order for fresh election of party offices in the state. ###
