Omiete Joseph
Following the recent judgement of Justice Stephen Jumbo of a Rivers State High Court, restraining Mr Chukwuemeka Aaron and his lead executive from parading as Chairman of the State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a new group has emerged as the Executives of the party in the state.
While, Dr Robinson Ewor, claimed to be the current Acting Chairman of PDP in Rivers, Mr Aaron insisted that he and his team remain the authentic leaders of the party in the State.
The two acclaimed leaders of the party loyal to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara, during a separate press briefing boasted that they are the recognised party leaders in Rivers.
Omable African News observed that security agencies, aware of possible clashes, had occupied the State Party Secretariat, along Aba Road in Port Harcourt, to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Speaking with journalists in Port Harcourt, Mr Ewor whose leadership is loyal to Governor Fubara, said their assumption in the office followed the ruling by Justice Jumbo on January 13, 2025.
Ewor said “Rivers State High Court, on January 13, 2025, sacked the Chukwuemeka Aaron-led purported State Executive Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Rivers State Chapter, alongside the Ward and Local Government Executive Committees of the Party.
“Following this, the original State Executive Committee of the Party, whose tenure ended in June/July 2024, has, in a well-publicised press conference held on January 15, 2025, assumed leadership of the Party in an acting capacity. The State Executive Committee is now being led by me, Dr Robinson Ewor, as Acting Chairman, and Dr Field Nkor as Acting Secretary, alongside other members.”
He revealed that a copy of the judgment has been transmitted to the Party’s National Secretariat, and that their assumption of office as Acting State and Local Government Executives has been communicated while they await further developments.
Ewor, who appealed to their supporters and party faithful to remain calm, assured that under his leadership, “we shall immediately commence steps toward healing and rebuilding our once-great Party, which was battered, with hope lost across the State, 23 Local Government Areas, and 319 electoral wards. We shall make the PDP Rivers State Chapter great again”.
Saying that the Party is supreme, Ewor assured “We shall uphold its supremacy. We shall implement the Party manifesto and constitution. We shall work with the national leadership of our great Party, including all its organs at various levels, as well as all critical stakeholders of the Party in the State and across the country”.
He said “By doing so, we can assure and reassure Nigerians that the PDP is a viable alternative to the APC, which, in the last nine years, has made life extremely difficult for Nigerian citizens with rising insecurity, infrastructure deficits, unequal exchange rates, high petroleum product costs, and more”.
He further called on the national leadership of the party to fully restore the leadership of the party in the State to Governor Fubara, “We also call on the national leadership to work with the new leadership of the Party at the State, LGA, and Ward levels”.
In a separate press briefing, the sacked party leadership loyal to Minister Wike, argued that due process was followed in the conduct of the congresses but noted that the legal team of the party in the state will appeal the judgement of Justice Jumbo.
The embattled Chairman of the party, insisted he remains the party chairman in Rivers State, claiming that his led executives were not party to the suit which judgement was delivered by Justice Jumbo that nullified the state congresses
Aaron accused the governor of being the masterminds of the alleged crisis in the party and appealed to him to be an instrument of peace rather than an agent of destruction
“We were all duly elected. We were not party to the suit; the judgment was not executed. We followed the due processes. How can you be in APP and PDP, Governor should allow peace to reign? It’s an abuse of court processes.. I remain the State Chairman of PDP.”
On his part, legal adviser to the sacked leadership of the party in the state, Kingsley Chukwuma added “We have taken proper step to address the matter. We have not seen the judgment to enable us support our Document to appeal. All we get is from social media”.