Tensions Escalate within Rivers State PDP as Governor Mohammed Accuses APC of Sowing Division
In a shocking development, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of deliberately planting moles within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State. According to Mohammed, the APC strategy is to fuel internal divisions within the PDP to achieve political gains.
This latest development comes as the PDP struggles to reconcile differences between the incumbent Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under the APC-led government. Wike, a former Governor of Rivers State, is being courted by the APC to return to the state as Governor.
Speaking on Wednesday during a visit from the PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Mohammed expressed concern over the ongoing power struggle within the Rivers State PDP, citing that it was being fueled by the APC’s deliberate attempt to disrupt party unity.
“We have to close ranks. It is something that is baffling some of us but any challenge is not insurmountable; it will be surmounted by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that and that is why there is a problem,” Mohammed stated.
He continued, “It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged. And you will notice that this is a creation of the other side (APC). They want us to be in disarray; it (the crisis) is the creation of the APC. They always want to have moles within us; they want to have the knowledge of what is happening within us.”
Mohammed however, assured that efforts were underway to take decisive action to unify the party, stating, “We cannot compromise the peace and unity of our great party.”
BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, commended Mohammed for his initiatives in resolving the crisis, expressing the BoT’s willingness to support his efforts. Wabara revealed that the BoT plans to engage the two factions in Rivers State in separate meetings to address the issues.
Noting his disappointment with the ongoing challenges in the PDP, particularly the National Working Committee’s actions and the leadership crisis in Rivers State, Wabara stated, “We are not happy with what is happening in the Party, and I think Nigerians too are not happy with what is happening in the PDP, particularly in Rivers State.”
The accusations by Governor Mohammed come amidst heightened political tensions in the country ahead of the next general election.