2023: Tension in Delta PDP as alleged greed may push aggrieved members to APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Delta State chapter may have been hit greed and abrasiveness as it heads towards a possible collapse come 2023.

While it is being alleged that pressure is being mounted on the state governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa to ensure he hands over to Delta North instead of Delta Central in line with the zoning arrangements, it was gathered that Governor Okowa in his second coming has allegedly been displaying high-handedness in many of his decisions, especially as regards appointments that he had made so far.

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Though his political aides who did not want their names in the Print also expressed dismay over what they described as strange attitude of the governor, but insisted that the party might crumble come 2023 considering the way and manner things have drastically changed in the state.

Sources alleged that some Delta North Cabals are currently working underground to scuttle the zoning arrangements for Delta Central, saying that the Urhobos cannot be trusted with powers and as such will work tireless to scuttle the arrangements and ensure that the Delta North retain power come 2023.

Insiders say that Okowa had been unfair in many of his recent activities even though he brags that he had been working in the state, especially in the provision of massive infrastructural development and health contributing scheme as he allegedly pays deaf ear to aggrieved members of the party in the state.

Those in the know said that the governor had allegedly resolved to punish some of the party members who he described as political jobbers not to give them appointments or engage them in any of his activities, except he or she hails from the Ika speaking tribe.

But Dr Fred Latimo one his aides described the allegations as untrue, noting that PDP needed to sit up ahead of the 2023 elections, adding that with the way things are going the state might lose the party to APC.

Expectedly, top Urhobo politicians in APC, especially those who are chieftains of the party have started working on aggrieved PDP members with intent to move them to their party and have assured them of doing everything possible for their comfort come 2023 assuring that they will retire Okowa from politics of the state.

Some aggrieved members of the PDP in the state who spoke to Journalists on condition of anonymity described the party as “dirty and crops up greed, adding that they were moving into APC to ensure they meet their political aspirations in all spheres.

But PDP publicity secretary, Dr Michael Ifeanyi in a swift reaction said “PDP is the only party in Delta and those planning to leave the party are charlatans and jobbers, they have nothing to offer and our party will be waxing stronger and our real members will not decamp to such horrible party.”

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu has expressed commitment to ensure quality returns on government’s investment in the state information agencies, and promised visible improvement in content output of information

Aniagwu who spoke to Journalists at the state House of Assembly after he proposed a capital budget of N350million for the state ministry of information and N100 million for Bureau of Orientation, said that he had the intention of undertaking a number of new projects in the coming fiscal year.

Top on the priority of the projects is the establishment of a new state printing press to allow for more dependable financial resourcefulness, adding “Government should look beyond repairing the old machines that are archaic and grossly outdated, and with N450million we can get a dependable web printer that would be able to service the state and general public.”

Picture: Senator Magnus Abe

Rivers: Stop blackmailing Tinubu, apologise to Amaechi, APC chieftain counsels Sen. Abe

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the South-South region, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has warned ex-Rivers South East Senator, Magnus Abe to stop blackmailing the National Leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, by constantly linking the leader’s name to his numerous betrayal of the party in Rivers State.

Eze said the constant flagging of Tinubu’s name by Abe was a strategy to justify the unnecessary legal fireworks and political conflagration he ignited within the Rivers APC, which denied the party and Rivers people their constitutional and democratic right of choosing who governs them during the 2019 elections in the state.

In a statement he personally signed, Eze alleged that Abe’s activities against the APC in Rivers State can only be described as deliberate sabotage of genuine efforts to liberate the people of the state from the hold of a diabolic manipulator and bad governance.

The former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, said: “We have watched with dismay the continued linking of Senator Bola Tinubu to the satanic plot to decimate the party and her structures in Rivers State, by a group of unconscious and conscienceless mortals, led by Senator Abe.”

Eze further expressed worries that the former Senator, who he alleged has extended his campaigns of calumny against the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to the media in a renewed onslaught, has threatened some journalists with a sack by reporting them to Tinubu for publishing some obvious truths about his politics of smear campaign.

Describing Tinubu as a nationalist, seasoned democrat and patriotic leader, whose political structure is not anchored on falsehood, illegality, sabotage and anti-party scheming, Eze said Senator Abe has continued to embark on mischievous ventures in a bid to further perpetrate grievous harm on the image of the party in Rivers State, against the wish of Senator Tinubu on whose name he has tried to rub some dirt.

The party chieftain, however, counseled Senator Abe to retrace his steps by apologising to Amaechi and the Rivers APC, stressing that no serious political family, targeting to make headway, can adopt him into their fold, considering the way and manner he has carried himself as a political Judas Iscariot in recent times.

“Even Governor Nyesom Wike who has been the highest beneficiary of his political selfishness and idiocy is keeping him at arms length,” Eze said.

Eze expressed displeasure over the act of the management of one of the nation’s leading newspaper for succumbing to Senator Abe’s pressure and intimidation by rendering him an apology, over an interview granted by Prince Lucky Worlu and titled, “Rivers APC chieftain urges Buhari to unite Amaechi, Abe,” merely aimed at pleading with Mr. President to intervene and restore peace in the Rivers State chapter of the APC and devoid of any malicious content.

“There is nothing wrong with a call for peace within the party. This has further shown that Senator Abe is more determined, now than ever, to wreck the ship of the Rivers APC for no just cause and must be swiftly resisted,” Eze warned.

Eze encouraged journalists to take solace in the truism that the pen is mightier than the sword and not to give in to the threat of Abe and those in his school of thought who think that by intimidation, the press can be caged.