It was a big boost for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State yesterday when the Interim Chairman, Dr. Ibiamu Davies Ikanya, received and accepted into the party’s fold, leaders and members of Princewill Political Associates (PPA) and the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM). Dr Ikanya was erstwhile State Chairman of PPA and the Rivers State Steering Committee Chairman of PDM before his appointment as the Interim Rivers State Chairman of APC.

The carnival-like ceremony held at the State Secretariat of APC situated along Forces Avenue, old GRA, Port Harcourt, “marked the formal end and collapsing of PPA and Rivers PDM structures into the APC,” said Ikanya in a statement issued this afternoon in Port Harcourt.

Hon. Ugo Chinnah, erstwhile Deputy Chairman and Director of Logistics of PPA and State Chairman, Membership Revalidation of PDM, led the 23 Local Government Chairmen of PDM and PPA and other key members of the State EXCO of the two organistaions to the ceremony. The delegation included Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, erstwhile Director of Media and Publicity of PPA and PDM; Comrade Vision Paul Thankgod Aluchi, Deputy Director of Youths; Chief Williams Ikhile, Director of Mobilisation; Donatus Ordu, Director of Finance; Comrade Chapp Jumbo, Director Of Research, Chief Uchenna Okokoba, Director of Non Indigenes and Chinedu Grant-Amadi, the Deputy Woman Leader.

However, Dr. (Mrs.) Edith Wele, the Women Leader, and Barr. Osima Ginah, former Secretary General of PPA and PDM, were both conspicuously absent. While the former’s absence was attributed to ill-health, the latter is now a leading light in GDI, the political machinery of Chief Nyesom Wike, the Supervising Minister of Education and arrowhead of the opposition in the state.

Hon. Chinnah, who wept profusely during the event, stated in his remarks: “I am crying not because of anything but the fact that Prince Tonye Princewill ought to be the one to lead this visit knowing how close he is with Gov Amaechi but instead he is found to be associating with PDP that has demonstrated its disdain against Rivers State and her people and now working with people who no longer enjoy the confidence of the people of Rivers State.”

Hon. Chinnah congratulated Dr. Ikanya for taking the mantle of leadership to spearhead what he called “the revolution that will change the course of Rivers State politics forever.” He concluded his remarks by condemning the controversial Rivers Police Commissioner, CP Joseph Mbu, and asked for his redeployment as a matter of urgency.

Dr. Ikanya in his address thanked Hon. Chinnah and all the stakeholders and members of PDM and PPA “for taking the bold step of identifying with the political aspirations of Rivers State and her people at this period that PDP politicians are playing politics inimical to the development of our dear state.” He assured the decampees that they would be treated as joint founders of APC in Rivers State, saying: “None of you should be intimidated by anybody or group as APC is big enough to accommodate anybody or group.”

Chief Ikanya expressed displeasure that Prince Tonye Princewill “is now working with PDP politicians that have sworn to make Rivers State ungovernable.” He promised “to work with Chief Eze, a trusted ally of the Prince, and Hon. Chinna to ensure that Prince Tonye Princewill to joins us as soon as possible as PDP is already dead in Rivers State unless he wants to end his blossoming political career in the country with a visionless group.”

•Photo shows Rivers APC Interim Chairman, Ikanya.

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