Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North/South, has stated that no PDP congress took place in Rivers over the weekend. He claimed the event was a party hosted by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and friends, disguised as a congress.
State congresses of the PDP happened over the weekend but faced issues in states like Rivers, Benue, Katsina, and Kogi. In Rivers, a congress proceeded despite a court order preventing it. This led to a conflict between the PDP’s NWC and the Governors Forum.
Wike and his faction claimed control of the party, despite a boycott by the state governor and his allies. Ugochinyere called the congress organized by Wike a “jamboree” and “laughable.” The lawmaker referenced a court order issued in July that blocked any congress in Rivers.
He labeled the gathering as a futile effort to maintain Wike’s image among his declining supporters. Ugochinyere also warned that the so-called congress was a violation of the court’s ruling and would be nullified.
FULL STATEMENT ON THE RIVERS PDP CONGRESS
“Take it from me, there is no PDP state Congress yet in Rivers state. Wike out of desperation to look good before his dwindling followers who are losing confidence in him held an owambe party and called it state Congress.
“Recall that in July, a State High Court, holding in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and presided over by Justice Charles Wali had issued an interim order stopping PDP from holding congresses in the state.
“The court decision was clear and the Congress was stopped from holding and so if people out of desperation gather to hold a family or kindred meeting from their hideout under the guise of Congress, you can only but pity and laugh at their political frolicking caused by joblessness and desperate quest for power.
“The purported Congress is a nullity and an exercise in futility as there is still an existing valid court order. Hence, the purported Congress will be set aside as you can’t put something on nothing”, he said.