• We Opted Out Because Our Matter Is In Court – APC
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, have sharply differed on the boycott of the April 17 Council elections.
While Wike claimed APC’s boycott of the councils polls is to avoid further electoral defeat that will expose its political irrelevance in the state, the party in a swift reaction by a chieftain, Chris Finebone, said the genuine reason his party opted out of the election was because the matter is already in court.
The governor spoke yesterday, in Port Harcourt during the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag off campaign for the April 17 Council election in the state at the Isaac Boro Park, Port Harcourt.
Finebone told The Guardian “Wike’s assertion is far from the truth. We cannot act in a manner that will contradict our position and the position is that, our earlier Council election is in court.
“It will be silly for us to subject ourselves to any Council elections when we are contesting the one that we did before and won and was unjustly removed when the governor took over office.”
Finebone explained that the matter, which the court struck out two weeks ago, still stands, adding that the missing documents, which led to the pronouncement has been found and the matter relisted.
On his part, the governor warned those within the PDP who want to gang up against Rivers State to be circumspect, saying no other state has given more votes to the PDP since 1999 than Rivers.
He maintained that while PDP has numerous infrastructural projects spread across the 23 councils that has endeared the party to the people at the grassroots, the APC cannot boast of a single project since 2015, adding that to avoid a looming electoral defeat, the leadership of the party decided to boycott the polls.
Governor Wike used the occasion to appeal to those who had aspired to be councillors and chairmen, but failed to realise their political aspiration, not to be dispirited. He said they should join hands with other stalwarts to ensure the victory of the PDP in the forthcoming poll.
The governor advised the PDP chairmanship candidates that if elected into office they must remain in their respective council headquarters to govern their people. He warned that the state government would not tolerate a situation where council chairmen will spend more of their time in Port Harcourt, the capital.
The State Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Desmond Akawor explained that all the party’s councillorship and chairmanship candidates have passed through the crucibles and are prepared to replicate Wike’s developmental agenda at the grassroots.
