Arrangements have reached an advanced stage by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State to receive about 10,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who have indicated interest in joining APC. Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, disclosed this in a statement issued this afternoon in Port Harcourt.

“Rivers APC is pleased to welcome these patriots in advance and to assure them that they have a found a home in the party of liberation. We are happy with their decision that Rivers State must not be allowed to play opposition politics in the incoming Federal Government of General Muhammadu Buhari and have fixed Friday, 10th April, 2015, to formally receive them at the APC State Secretariat at Forces Avenue, Port Harcourt,” Ikanya said.

He described the decision of the mammoth crowd of PDP members to defect to APC as equivalent to the breaking of PDP’s backbone in Rivers State. “With this development, it would be safe to say that Rivers State PDP Leader and gubernatorial candidate, Chief Nyesome Wike, is now a commander without troops. Wike is irreversibly on his way to political oblivion and his fate shall become sealed on April 11 when he will be trounced by our governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, during the governorship polls,” Ikanya added.

The Rivers APC Chairman listed PDP National Vice-Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, “who was one of the principal actors who saw to the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and his awful performance in the March 28 presidential polls”; his cousin, Engr. Tele Ikuru, “the Deputy Governor of Rivers State who miscalculated and recently decamped to the sinking ship of PDP”; and Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, “among other fallen political heavyweights in Rivers who will join Wike into political oblivion from April 11.”

“These are men who symbolise injustice and whose exaggerated sense of political importance has deceived them into promoting the candidature of a man who is unmarketable even among his kinsmen,” Ikanya said.

Lambasting Wike, the APC State Chairman said: “Chief Wike’s adventure into the gubernatorial race, apart from being immoral, was principally used to sow seeds of discord between President Jonathan and Governor Chibuike Amaechi, resulting to the failure of President Jonathan to win re-election. As we have often made clear, Chief Wike’s guber aspiration is dead on arrival as Rivers people will not allow two Ikwerre sons to govern the State for an unbroken 16 years – which would be the case if Wike is allowed to succeed Amaechi.

“Besides, Rivers is a Christian State and we know that Chief Wike is not a Christian. We know the dangers an administration such as his portends for the State, so Wike stands no chance whatsoever on April 11.”

Rivers APC congratulated President Jonathan and The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, “for distancing themselves from Wike as he is bad company.”

“We wish to remind the good people of Rivers State that voting for PDP on Saturday is tantamount to voting for cultism, occultism, promotion of violence and sharing of our common patrimony amongst PDP Chieftains. It would also mean electing a government that will be confrontational to the APC Government at the centre. We trust that Rivers voters are too intelligent to make such a costly mistake,” Ikanya stated.

•Photo shows some APC Rivers grassroots leaders at a recent ward congress.

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