ANAYO ONUKWUGHA, writes on the recent political defections in Rivers State ahead of 2019.The back and forth between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC) over defections in Rivers State, climaxed last Thursday.The venue was the Sharks Football Club Stadium and the event was the formal reception for over 8,000 APC members who have so far decamped to the PDP as the ruling party claimed.The ceremony was attended by Governor Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike, his deputy governor, Dr. Ipalibo Harry-Banigo, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi Owaji Ibani and members of the state executive council as well as the Chief Felix Obuah-led state executive committee of the PDP and supporters of the party from the 23 local government areas of the state.For Wike, the defection offered an opportunity to lampoon the opposition and his arch rival, former governor, Rotimi Amaechi, the leader of the APC in the state. For the PDP, the defection was a boost for a party whos national leadership wallows in serious crisis. More so, for Wike was a show of his dominance in the state not just for the opposition APC but to the Sen Ali Modu Sheriff-led PDP.Coincidentally, the defection of APC members into the PDP came on a day, Sheriff, through his deputy, Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, made wide-ranging allegations against Wike, including that he, alongside the Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, recruited former President Goodluck Jonathan to hold the April 6 controversial peace meeting. Sheriffs camp also alleged that Wike has disbursed monies to an unknown person in relation to the ongoing leadership case at the Supreme Court.However, while addressing the decampees and other members of the PDP at the 5,000 capacity stadium, Wike accused the partys national chairman, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, of being a mole sponsored by the APC to cause crisis in the PDP, insisting that there is no crisis in the party.The governor, who stated that the PDP will continue to wax strong, added that Sheriff was recruited to destroy the party because of the crisis that has engulfed the APC at the national level.Wike, who charged PDP members to relax and wait for Gods intervention, said that Rivers State has witnessed mass execution of pro-people projects despite the deliberate ploy of the APC and Federal Government to distract his administration.I promised Rivers people that we will serve Rivers State with all amount of commitment. APC is looking for who will be their candidates in 2019. But we in the PDP are not talking about election; we are talking about projects.I hear that they are fighting; why would they be fighting' Is there anything in APC' Look at the PDP; as big as we are, we are not fighting. But those who are small in number are fighting.If we are talking about election in Rivers State, they (APC) should forget it. Rivers State is a pure PDP state. They should go to another state. Whether Abuja likes it or not, this is what Rivers people have said.The governor added There are certain areas the card reader will not work, then they will use their security to go and carry the result sheets and they will come and tell me they did manual election.Since INEC is using card reader, let it be card reader all the way. They should put all the money they said they have been recovering in INEC so that they (INEC) will do proper election. The way I am seeing it, they want to rig the election. So, we will be prepared for them as we have always been prepared for fighting.Boasting of his achievments in office he said, This state was getting N25billion, N27billion, N30billion monthly before. Now, we are getting N7billion, N8billion, N9billion; is it the same' But you can see what we are doing with it and see what they did with N27billion, N30billion.I can tell you, just relax. We believe in God and God has never disappointed his children.On his part, chairman of PDP in the state, Chief Felix Obuah, stated that the APC decampees are the first batch of defectors, adding that in two weeks another set APC members will defect to PDP.The leader of the APC decampees, Chief Emeh Glory Emeh, said his party had been decimated due to the performance of the governor. He added that out of 84 leaders in APC in Rivers State, more than half have defected to the PDP.Interestingly however, the APC also won over a PDP decampee. Few days before the PDP celebrated the defection of APC members into its fold, a chieftain of the PDP and one of its governorship aspirant in the 2015 election, Chief Dump Lulu-Briggs, dumped the party for the APC. Speaking during his formal declaration and registration as APC member in Ward 4, Abonnema, Akuku-Toru local government area of the state, Lulu-Briggs pledged to work for the growth and development of the APC.He said, I pray I am able to contribute immensely to the growth of the Party in my Ward, LGA and State, and those efforts translate positively nationally.Expectedly, the leadership of the APC in the state dismissed the reception for the defectors, describing it as part of the Project Glory Emeh scam. The party claimed that the scam features the hiring of all manner of persons who are assembled to pose as APC defectors.The APC, in a statement issued in Port Harcourt by its publicity secretary, Senibo Chris Finebone, said it believes that the objective for Emeh, who it described as the main architect of the plot is to gain a huge payout by Wike.Finebone noted that several buses were earlier sent to various local government areas in Rivers State as well as Abia and Imo states to ferry down hirelings who will later claim to be defecting from APC to PDP.While he noted that the APC would have ordinarily shrugged off the self-delusionary and pedestrian propaganda woven around the drama, but for what he said was a criminal aspect of the exercise which includes alleged unlawful printing of APC membership cards and other paraphernalia that were distributed to the hirelings.The APC spokesman warned that the party would not hesitate to take advantage of the law to seek redress and criminal prosecution of anyone found to be in unlawful possession of APC materials and those who illegally provided them with such materials.Finebone stated that in the fullness of time, the APC would present to Rivers people and Nigerians, decent and prominent politicians who have abandoned Wike and the PDP and joined the APC.The statement reads in part, The Rivers State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) can confirm that as part ofProject Glory Emeh scam in which all manner of persons are hired and assembled to pose as APC decampees in return for huge pay outs by Governor Nyesom Wike to Chief Glory Emeh, several buses were earlier today sent to various LGAs in Rivers State including neighbouring states of Abia and Imo to ferry down hirelings who will claim to defect from APC to PDP at an event to be lavishly covered by local and national media.As early as 7am, over 20 buses left Akuku Toru and Asari Toru LGAs (among others) for Port Harcourt. Those conveyed were reported to be PDP members who are expected to pose as APC decampees. The executors of the scheme are taking advantage of the present hard times by paying between N3,000 and N5,000 to each person depending on the LGA or location.He added The APC warns the PDP and all those behind the ongoing bizarre circus show that we will not hesitate to take advantage of the law to seek redress and criminal prosecution for anyone found to be in unlawful possession of APC materials by non-APC members and those who illegally provided them such materials.In fullness of time, APC will present to Rivers people and Nigerians sound, decent and prominent politicians of Rivers State who have and are still abandoning Governor Wike and the PDP and joining the APC. The present pedestrian drama will soon pale into insignificance. When the big masquerades enter the arena, small ones that either stole or borrowed their wrappers quickly disappear into the crowd and hide their faces.Concerning the ignoble Project Glory Emeh scam, we can only urge Rivers people to protest Governor Nyesom Wike playing Robin Hood with the commonwealth of Rivers people at a time the governor has stifled education, healthcare delivery and effective governance in the State.The APC will continue to demand accountability from Governor Nyesom Wike in the interest of all Rivers people. We will continue to demand that the governor make public the States budgets which for the past two years remain secret document. We will continue to demand for transparency and good governance. We have no other concern other than the wellbeing of the present and future generation of Rivers people and residents of Rivers State.
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