The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal Government has been declared the greatest enemy of the people of Rivers State. The State Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Davies Ikanya, made the declaration yesterday in a statement issued in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.

“Apart from ceding most of Rivers State’s oil wells to Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom and Abia states, the PDP-led Federal Government has ensured that the state lacks every Federal Government project since the inception of the present PDP Government at the centre for reasons of which we are yet to be informed. Without mincing words, the PDP Government at the centre is the greatest enemy of Rivers State as the government is hell-bent to ensure that we are denied every facet of meaningful development, including denying us a water project initiated by the Government of Rt. Hon. Amaechi to demonstrate the high point of inhumanity against the people of Rivers State,” Ikanya stated.

He lamented that “because of Rivers State, the East-West Road and the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway have been abandoned just to ensure that the Rivers State people are punished for standing beside their God-given Governor who has demonstrated commitment and love towards the emancipation and development of the state.”

The statement claimed that APC has dislodged PDP at the grassroots in Rivers State and announced the holding of a mega rally today in Port Harcourt to receive thousands of PDP defectors, including erstwhile loyalists of Supervising Minister for Education, Barrister Nyesom Wike, who is leading the opposition against Governor Chibuike Amaechi. Below are excerpts of the statement:

“Barely four weeks after its merger with the New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), the All Progressives Congress (APC) has effectively dislodged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the grassroots in Rivers State. PDP was the ruling party in the state until November 26 when it suddenly became the opposition party following the departure of Governor Chibuike Amaechi and other erstwhile PDP leaders in the state, who became members of the APC by virtue of the party’s merger with nPDP, of which the Governor was a key leader.

“Indications that the people at the grassroots have wholeheartedly embraced APC emerged during the on-going tour of local governments in the state by the APC Interim State EXCO headed by the Interim State Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya. All the Local Government Areas visited saw the massive turnout of former PDP members and leaders, who trooped out to receive the APC delegation and to pledge their loyalty to the party. Besides, all the Local Government Council Chairmen in the State have declared for APC with all their Councillors when they paid a solidarity visit to the APC Chairman recently at the APC State Secretariat in Port Harcourt.

“The mother of all rallies will hold on Monday, December 23, at the Liberation Stadium, Port Harcourt, to be witnessed by Governor Amaechi, all National Assembly members from the state, all members of the State Executive Council, stakeholders and some of the National Officers of the party. Key actors of Chief Nyesom Wike’s faction of the PDP in the State are expected to declare for APC during the rally. According to some of them, ‘Our eyes have been opened to see the evil that PDP as a party portends so far the development of Rivers State is concerned.’

“Commenting on the development, an elated Dr. Ikanya said: ‘The massive turnout of Rivers State people to receive us in all the local government areas toured provides irrefutable proof that the masses of Rivers State have fully embraced APC as the party of their choice. This is not surprising in view of the total neglect of the state by the PDP-led Federal Government at the centre.”’

“He urged the people of Rivers State to see those promoting PDP in the state as enemies of the state, assuring that the Government of APC both in the state and at the centre come 2015 would not only protect the interests of the state but also see that all the wicked polices against the state by the PDP-led government are reversed.

“The APC Interim State Chairman said that ‘by accepting the APC revolution, the people of Rivers State have taken their fate in their own hands and collectively we shall secure our freedom and reposition the state to the enviable position that God has destined for it.’

“Dr. Ikanya described those criticizing Governor Amaechi for joining APC as misguided politicians who have nothing to offer to the state and who do not appreciate all that Governor Amaechi suffered and sacrificed in order for sanity to be sustained in PDP which President Jonathan, Bamanga Tukur and their surrogates in Rivers State ensured that he was frustrated out of the party. ‘Governor Amaechi has no alternative than joining APC and by 2015 both the people of Rivers State and some of these misguided politicians will come to appreciate the wisdom in the political wizardry of Governor Amaechi in this regard,’ the APC Interim State Chairman said.”

•Photo shows Rivers APC Chairman Davies Ikanya.

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