Tensions flared in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, on Thursday as police barricaded the road leading to the Peoples Democratic Party?s secretariat on Aba Road.

The move followed reports that the Acting Executive Committee, formed after a court nullified the elected executive, planned to take over the secretariat complex.

A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Monday nullified the ward, local government, and state congresses of the PDP conducted in 2024.

Although the planned takeover was suspended, both factions held separate press briefings to assert their authority, underscoring the deepening crisis within the party.

Crowds of party supporters gathered both inside and outside the secretariat, reflecting the charged atmosphere, Channels TV reports on Thursday.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, leader of the restrained executive, ?criticised the growing number of court cases involving the party and appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to prioritise peace.?

State Legal Adviser Kingsley Chuku (SAN) revealed that ?while the party had yet to receive the court ruling, it planned to appeal the decision once the records were available.?

Chukwuemeka and Chuku also accused members of the Acting Executive of being affiliated with the All People?s Party, claiming they had no authority to lead the PDP.

At a separate event, Robinson Nname-Ewor, Acting Chairman of the PDP, announced that the ?planned takeover of the secretariat had been suspended to avoid escalation.?

However, he laid out demands for resolving the party?s crisis, including reinstating leadership under Fubara and recognising the Acting Executive at the state level.

Nname-Ewor also ?disclosed plans to establish a disciplinary committee to investigate alleged anti-party activities, particularly those linked to the 2023 general elections.?

Despite the suspension of the takeover, the unresolved grievances and escalating tensions highlight that the Rivers PDP crisis is far from over, it reported.

The crisis within the Rivers PDP intensified on Wednesday with the emergence of factional leadership.

The Chairman of the PDP in Rivers West Senatorial District, Robinson Ewor, declared himself as the acting chairman of the state chapter of the party. (The PUNCH)

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