?alleges Tinubu enabling FCT minister to destabilize opposition

The Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Robinson Nname-Ewor, has declared that the party?s structure in the state is no longer under the control of former governor and current Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Monday, Nname-Ewor described Wike?s influence over the PDP in Rivers as ?years of political hostage-taking,? which he said has now come to an end.

?Before now, he (Wike) held the party hostage at the state level. The national said don?t conduct congresses; he went ahead to conduct them. But today, we have gone beyond that,? Nname-Ewor stated.

?The party today at the state level is no longer in his hands. Therefore, there is nothing they can do as far as the party is concerned in Rivers.?

This declaration marks a significant turning point in the protracted political crisis that has rocked Rivers State since the 2023 general elections, further deepening after Wike joined President Bola Tinubu?s cabinet.

Nname-Ewor said the crisis escalated when Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who was supported into office by Wike, resisted continued political control by the former governor.

?Wike believes loyalty should be absolute. But the resources he used to support candidates, including Fubara and state lawmakers, were not his ? they were Rivers State resources. So the first loyalty should be to the people,? he said.

?Once Rivers people realised Fubara was no longer Wike?s puppet, they owned him. And that?s what changed everything.?

He accused Wike of working against the PDP from within while aligning with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), asserting that Wike?s influence has become more destructive than beneficial.

?To us in Rivers, Wike is no longer a member of the PDP. He is only here to destroy the PDP and the opposition. And unfortunately, he is being aided by the presidency,? Nname-Ewor claimed.

He alleged that the federal government is supporting Wike financially to weaken the PDP ahead of the 2027 general elections.

?Wike today exists in the PDP because he?s on a mission to destroy the opposition in the country, not just in Rivers State,? he added. ?And the president is helping him. The president is funding Wike to destroy the opposition. That is the irony of it.?

Nname-Ewor also criticised Wike?s continued interference in the party?s national affairs, particularly his influence over appointments such as the national secretary.

?How do you advise a party you?re no longer part of? How do you advise people you?re busy attacking? Wike has openly pledged to support the APC in 2027. His role now is not one of leadership but sabotage,? he said.

Despite the challenges, Nname-Ewor said the PDP is undergoing internal reforms at both state and national levels, with the support of the PDP Governors? Forum, National Working Committee (NWC), and Board of Trustees (BoT).

?The crisis you see in Rivers and in the PDP is not because the party is broken. It is because one man, the FCT Minister, is determined to destroy it. Remove him, and you won?t see a single crisis ? neither in Rivers nor nationally,? he noted.

As the PDP in Rivers consolidates its independence, political observers are watching to see how long Wike can sustain his dual roles ? serving in an APC government while attempting to influence PDP decisions.

?This is a new beginning for the PDP in Rivers,? Nname-Ewor concluded. ?We are taking back our party, and we will protect it.? (Nigerian Tribune)

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