Rivers State’s Local Government Election: PDP’s Exodus to Rival Parties Causes Stir
In a surprise move, several members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State have defected to the Action People’s Party (APP) to contest the October 5 local government election. This shift comes amidst an internal crisis within the PDP, which has led to the party’s decision to abstain from the poll.
The defectors include Caretaker Committee Chairmen appointed by Governor Siminalayi Fubara just three months ago. Notable among them are Chijioke Ihunwo, Ezebunwo Ichemati, Brain Gokpa, David Omereji, John Ngubo-Otamiri, Promise Reginald, and Mathew Dike. Also joining the APP are two Council Chairmen from the immediate past administration, Enyiada Cookey-Gam and Anengi Barasua Claude-Wilcox, who refused to support the party’s controversial 6-month tenure elongation.
The APP has also attracted several high-profile personalities, including a former National President of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Igwe Access, a serving Commissioner for Urban Development, Isaac Umejuru, a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Ms Tonye Oniyide-Briggs, and a Permanent Secretary in the State Civil Service, Dr. Harry Agiriye.
Eighteen political parties have fielded candidates for the election, including a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Mr. Emeka Beke. However, the PDP’s decision to withdraw from the poll has raised concerns about the party’s long-standing dominance in the state. The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) has insisted on conducting the polls, despite the PDP’s withdrawal.
As election day approaches, political observers are closely monitoring the situation, eager to see how the PDP’s decision to sit out the contest and the exodus of its members to rival parties will impact the party’s dominance in the state. This could mark a significant shift in Rivers State’s local government administration and the political landscape at large.
