Rivers PDP splits further as new caretaker executive committee emerges

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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman, Rivers West Senatorial District, Mr Robinson Ewor, yesterday declared himself as the acting chairman of the party in the state.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt, Ewo announced Dr. Feild Nkor as the acting secretary while Uranta Humphrey, Sydney Gbara, Victor Pepple, and Emile Solomon are members of the caretaker executive committee.

Ewor explained that the Rivers State High Court ruling in Port Harcourt informed the formation of the executive committee.

Recall that the court presided by Justice Stephen Jumbo had on January 13 issued a restraining order preventing the ward, local government and state executive committees led by the state chairman, Mr Aaron Chukwuemeka, from functioning as party executives.

The Chukwuemeka-led committee came into being following congresses conducted by the PDP faction loyal to the minister of the FCT and former governor of the state, Mr. Nyesom Wike.

The court also issued a restraining order, preventing the Aaron Chukwuemeka-led executive from presenting themselves as state executive members until the substantive suit is determined.

The ruling was based on an interlocutory injunction filed by Port Harcourt-based lawyers, Messrs Edwin Woko, Love Otuonye and two others.

Ewor, who was flanked by former members of the state working committee removed from dissolved caretaker committees, stated that the court’s ruling had returned the party’s leadership to its rightful members.

He pledged to enforce the judgment, saying he does not recognise Messrs Chukwuemeka Aaron, Martin Amaewhule, and 26 others as members of the PDP.

“The court barred Aaron Chukwuemeka and others from parading themselves as members and executives of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state and at various levels.

“Those who were elected, including Aaron Chukwuemeka, are no longer members of the PDP; they are members of the All Progressives Congress.

“Martin Amaewhule and his colleagues are members of the APC; they are no longer members of the PDP. They have defected. And the defection stands.

“They are not members of the PDP; there is no way they can lead the party at the state level. So the court has restored the party to us, and we have taken over our party,” he said.

Ewor, therefore, called on the national executive of the party “to, as a matter of urgency, implement the judgement of the Rivers State High Court and hand over all the reins of the party to the leader of the party at the state level, who is the governor of the state,” he said.

Ewor further said the PDP was focused and called on the party’s national leadership to recognise the state governor, Mr Siminalayi Fubara as the leader of the PDP in Rivers State.

“What this judgment means to us is that the party is being restored to the original owners. The party is restored to the leader of the party, the Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara.

“Going forward, we are here to inform Rivers people, the teeming supporters of our party, and indeed Nigerians, that the court ruling is being welcomed by members of the party at the state level and that we will not only adhere to, or obey, the court ruling; we will go ahead to implement the court ruling to the letter,” he added.

Ewor also accused Wike and his allies of altering a directive from the PDP national secretariat to extend the tenure of the previous executive, which he claimed led to the controversial congresses.

He stated the alteration led to the controversial election that brought Chukwuemeka Aaron and others into office.

However, the Wike-backed executive stated that the leadership of Aaron remained intact.

It recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja had given an order that granted the PDP in the state the authority to hold the ward, local government, and state congresses.

Spokesman for the party in the state, Dr. Kenneth Yowika, said in a statement that while delivering the judgement, Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, barred the police, DSS, Independent National Electoral Commission, and seven others from stopping, truncating, or disrupting the conduct of the congresses of the party.

He noted that the congresses were held between July and 31 August 2024, adding that the events produced winners, who were subsequently inaugurated.

He further recalled that Lifu, while delivering a ruling on the ex parte application brought by six members of the PDP in the state, had asked the acting PDP national chairman, Mr Iliya Damagum, the national secretary, Mr Samuel Anyanwu and the national organising secretary, Mr Umar Bature, to proceed with the conduct of the congresses as scheduled.

He stated that Lifu also ordered the PDP and the three national officers to adhere strictly to and honour the provisions of the guidelines, adjust the timetable, and schedule of activities duly issued and published, pending the determination of a motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction filed along with the motion ex parte.

He further said the judge also restrained the PDP and the three national officers from allowing any person who did not obtain a nomination form or ad hoc form within the time stipulated in the guideline from running for any elective office of the party or ad hoc or national delegates’ position, pending the determination of the motion on notice already filed.

“With reference to the judgment delivered by Justice Jumbo Stephens of the High Court in Port Harcourt on 13 January 2025, the party is calling on all its members from the wards, LGAs, and state to be calm, as our lawyers are studying the judgment which we will immediately appeal by the party,” he added.