The Rivers Elders and Leaders Council, which has been clamouring that governorship position be zoned to the Riverine area of the state, has given the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) up to January 5, 2015 to substitute Chief Nyesom Wike with a Riverine candidate, or face mass defection to any party which fields a Riverine person as its candidate.

Addressing newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, the leader of the group and former Director General of State Security Service (SSS), Chief Albert Horsfall, recalled with regret the fruitless efforts made by the council to make the party and President Goodluck Jonathan see reasons for the emergence of a Riverine candidate on the platform of PDP.

He threatened that if PDP failed to withdraw the candidacy of Wike, in place of a Riverine person, they would be left with no other choice than to support any party which fields a Riverine candidate.

Chief Horsfall accused the national leadership of PDP of conspiracy and manipulation against Rivers people. “We have given them time and space to do what is right; up till this moment, they have not done anything,” he stated.

He condemned those he called few ambitious people that want to impose themselves on Rivers people, adding: “We reject that.”

Horsfall continued: “As far as I’m concerned, justice must prevail in the end, that is why we must stand firm. This is our state, this is our country; we totally and utterly reject imposition.

He was, however, optimistic about the emergence of a Riverine candidate on the platform of PDP as, according to him, the party still has till January 13, 2015, to foreclose the issue of governorship candidates in various states.

Horsfall revealed that the issue of power rotation in Rivers State was still pending in court, adding that it had been adjourned four times.

The elder statesman commended other political parties that had heeded their call by presenting Riverine candidates but stressed the need for them to close ranks, if after January 5, PDP fails to substitute Wike with a Riverine candidate. To achieve this, he said a forum would be created where an agreement would be reached on the party with a Riverine candidate to vote for.

According to him, people from the Riverine area were not prepared to sell their birthrights.

“We will take back our state from those who want to imprison us,” he stated.

Horsfall came down hard on the 15 governorship aspirants from the Riverine, who were

rumoured to have pitched tent with Wike, describing them as chicken-hearted persons, who

were merely deceiving the elders.

The former SSS Director General recalled how the elders had been committed, fighting for

the governorship aspirants since September, only for them to be abandoned.

“We will flush them out of the system. It is those with us that we will push forward. Whoever

emerges will be our leader, we will support him,” Horsfall declared.

•Adapted from a Daily Sun report. Photo shows Wike.

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