The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has declared its intention to boycott the forthcoming local government elections set for October 5, 2024.
This decision was made following a stakeholders’ meeting at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, where state party Chairman Aaron Chukwuemeka announced that the party will await the court’s ruling on a lawsuit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chukwuemeka emphasized that the PDP is not a party to the APC’s lawsuit but will comply with the court’s injunction that prevents the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) from proceeding with the election. He urged party members to refrain from participating in any election-related activities.
“After a recent stakeholders meeting, we have resolved that, as a law-abiding party, we will not partake in the purported local government election scheduled for October 5,” Chukwuemeka stated.
The boycott follows the defection of Caretaker Committee Chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the PDP to the Action People’s Party (APP). This move occurred amid accusations of a takeover of the state PDP structure by Governor Fubara’s predecessor, Nyesom Wike, who currently serves as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The ongoing discord between Fubara and Wike has precipitated a political crisis in the state, prompting council chairmen and their supporters aligned with Governor Fubara to join the APP in significant numbers. Now, almost all candidates campaigning for chairmanship and councillorship positions are running under the APP banner, with their campaigns already in full swing..
