A group, the Coalition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirants for the Rivers State House of Assembly and the Federal House of Representatives has rejected Barr. Nyesom Wike as the party’s governorship candidate for next month’s election.
This was contained in a statement made available today and signed by four members of the coalition, including Mr. Eyaalada Akari, Mr Nature Kieghe, Engr. Francis Ibarakunye, and Mr Iheanyichukwu Paul.
The statement noted that the coalition does not recognize any gubernatorial candidate in the state due to flaws in the primary elections.
“Several members of the coalition received invitations via SMS to a meeting scheduled for 11 am on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, with an aspirant purporting to be the ‘governorship candidate’ of the Party and the state chairman of the PDP.
“In the SMS, Chief (Barr.) Nyesom Wike is paraded as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Rivers State. “Having met at emergency session, we wish to reiterate the fact that to the best of our knowledge, the PDP in Rivers State does not yet have a gubernatorial candidate or any candidate for any other elective offices, except the presidency, following gross fundamental flaws with all other primaries,” the statement said.
The coalition dissociated itself from the said meeting, and urged the national leadership of the party to resolve complaints regarding the PDP primaries in the state, adding that failure to do so would have grave consequences at the polls, as the state would be ignorantly handed to the APC.
“The truth is that a Wike candidacy poses the greatest risk to PDP. It will tear the party apart with the real possibility of losing a majority of the elections in the state.”
