Rivers APC membership registration crisis blamed on chieftains struggle for control of party

More facts are beginning to emerge on the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State. 
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Rivers State chapter says its hands are clean in the crisis rocking the APC membership registration exercise in the State.

The Party, in a press statement to SHOWBIZPLUS, says it had no business interfering in the exercise and should therefore not be blamed for the woes experienced in the APC registration process.

The Party explains that it was aware of the infighting and struggle by chieftains of the APC, who maintain various camps and whose quest was to control the Party structure in their respective LGAs and wards.

It is this quest for supremacy of the party by leaders that is responsible for the sad and avoidable problems witnessed in the registration process of the Party.

The PDP is also aware that to have full grip and control of the Party in the various areas, most of the APC leaders have deployed machineries to their particular area of interest in order to take absolute charge of the registration materials and the whole process, to which resistance by the other interest group has resulted to clashes and obstruction of the exercise.

The PDP supports its position with the incident that took place yesterday, Thursday, February 6, 2014 at the gate of the Rivers State Deputy Governor’s Lodge, along Ernest Ikoli Street, Old GRA, Port Harcourt, during which the State Chairman of the APC, Mr Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, in company of his supporters, had a rumpus with the Deputy Governor and his supporters, on who collects and distributes the registration materials for the exercise in Andoni Communities, their LGA.

The PDP notes that similar events also have been reported from other areas where the exercise ought to have commenced in the State, saying rather than blaming it for its many troubles, the APC should fashion out ways of containing or stopping the various political camps’ struggle in its fold.

The Party also particularly recalls the incident in the Rivers South East Senatorial district, between the camps of Senator Magnus Ngei Abe and the Member representing Andoni Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency, Hon Dakuku Peterside, where both camps struggled to direct the process in the area.

The Party therefore appeals to the people of the State to stare clear of the crisis laden exercise, even as it (the PDP) watches to see the outcome of such jamboree.

It further calls on the APC not to allow what ought to have been a peaceful exercise to be source of tension and crisis in the already tensed political climate, caused by the arrogance and youthful exuberance of Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

In a related development, the Peoples Democratic Party takes a swipe at the statement credited to the State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, alleging that Rivers State Government, under governor Amaechi ensured a level playing ground for the opposition during the 2011 general elections in the State.

Recalling the case of the Governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, the PDP notes that such statement is a distortion of facts, as evidences abound that apart from the series of attacks and intimidation on opposition party members, Governor Amaechi acted otherwise to the extent of using the Police to seal up the campaign office of the Action Congress of Nigeria Governorship Candidate.

The PDP therefore calls on Rivers people to disregard the Information Commissioner’s statement, as there was no prove to substantiate such claim.