The crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State deepened after a court ruling led to the emergence of a factional leadership that has pledged allegiance to the state governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara.
The ruling de-recognised congresses that produced executive committee members loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Minister Nyesom Wike.
On January 13, the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, presided over by Justice Stephen Jumbo, issued a restraining order preventing the ward, local government, and state executive committees led by State Chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka from functioning as the party’s executives.
The ruling followed an interlocutory injunction filed by Port Harcourt-based lawyers Edwin Woko, Love Otuonye, and two others.
In response, Robinson Ewor, the PDP Chairman for the Rivers West Senatorial District, declared himself the acting chairman of the party in the state.
Speaking in Port Harcourt yesterday, Ewor announced Dr. Feild Nkor as acting secretary and introduced other members of the caretaker executive committee, including Uranta Humphrey, Sydney Gbara, Victor Pepple, and Emile Solomon.
Ewor, flanked by former members of the state working committee removed from dissolved caretaker committees, stated that the court ruling had restored the party’s leadership to its rightful members. He pledged to enforce the judgement and dismissed the leadership of Aaron Chukwuemeka, Martin Amaewhule, and others as illegitimate.
Ewor accused Wike and his allies of manipulating a directive from the PDP National Secretariat to extend the tenure of previous executives, which he claimed led to the controversial congresses.
He said, “The court barred Aaron Chukwuemeka and others from parading themselves as members and executives of the PDP in the state.”
Ewor emphasised that the judgement restored the party to its original leadership, which he defined as the governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara. He called on the PDP’s national leadership to recognise Fubara as the party leader in the state and to implement the court ruling.
Meanwhile, the Wike-backed executive reaffirmed the legitimacy of Aaron Chukwuemeka’s leadership.
The state publicity secretary, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, cited a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja, which had authorised the PDP to hold congresses in the state. Yowika stated that the party would appeal the ruling by Justice Jumbo. “The judgement is being studied, and we will immediately appeal it,” he said.
