Chukwuemeka stated that although the PDP is not directly involved in the lawsuit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the elections, the party would honor the court’s injunction that prohibits the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) from conducting the elections.
Port Harcourt, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State has announced its decision to boycott the upcoming local government elections, scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The party’s decision follows a stakeholders’ meeting held at its secretariat in Port Harcourt, where state party chairman, Aaron Chukwuemeka, revealed the party’s stance.
Chukwuemeka stated that although the PDP is not directly involved in the lawsuit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the elections, the party would honor the court’s injunction that prohibits the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) from conducting the elections. He urged party members to abstain from all election-related activities until the court reaches a verdict.
“After thorough discussions during the stakeholders’ meeting, we have resolved that, as a law-abiding party, we will not participate in the scheduled local government elections on October 5,” Chukwuemeka affirmed.
The PDP’s decision comes in the wake of significant political turbulence within the state, including the recent defection of several Caretaker Committee Chairmen from the PDP to the Action People’s Party (APP).
The chairmen, who are loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara, left the PDP amid accusations that former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had seized control of the party’s structure in Rivers State.
The growing rift between Governor Fubara and Wike has sparked a political crisis, with numerous local government chairmen and their supporters defecting to the APP. Nearly all candidates contesting the upcoming elections are now running under the APP banner, with their campaigns already underway.
The party’s boycott further complicates an already fraught political landscape in Rivers State, as the fallout between Fubara and Wike continues to shape the state’s political future.
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