30th October, 2014
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers state, led by Prof. Isreal Owate, a former Commissioner for Education, and the national coordinator known as ‘Mainstream Coalition’ would be holding a mega rally at the liberation stadium in Port Harcourt today.
The rally tagged “Power Must Rotate In Rivers State” is expected put together 16 other aspirants on the party’s platform and their supporters to form a united front against Nyesom Wike who they accuse of over bearing influence on the Felix Obuah led executive of the party in the state.
Dumo Lulu-Briggs, a PDP governorship aspirant and Kalabari son has called on supporters to be at the Liberation Stadium today as he uses the opportunity of the rally by the Mainstream coalition to publicly declare his governorship aspirations.
Meanwhile, another governorship aspirant, Nimi Walson Jack, and former national publicity secretary of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has called for the postponement of planned ward Congresses of the party until issues concerning internal crises in the party in the state are addressed.
In reaction to the planned rally the state chairman of the party, Obuah has threatened to suspend any party member that attends the rally today.
It would be recalled that Owate the National Coordinator of the Rivers Mainstream Coalition, Prof Israel Owate has said that the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers state is not working for President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election.
Prof Owate, a chieftain of the party, who stated this while reacting to a comment by the state Chairman of the PDP, Brother Felix Obuah, noted that the party’s leadership was not interested in the success of the party but rather for the selfish interest of the Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike.
He described the leadership of the party led by Obuah as selfish, myopic and indolent.
The Rivers Mainstream Coalition coordinator regretted that he and others like Chief A. K. Horsfall, a former Director-General of State Security Service; Chief Bekinbo Soberekon, former Director-General, National Intelligence Agency, NIA and Elder Gomba Osarolo, two-time commissioner in the state, could be called nitwits by Obuah because he is promoting the ambition of Wike as regrettable.
He vowed that Rivers Mainstream Coalition will continue to fight for the liberation of the party and the people from the hands of selfish, myopic and indolent people who have clutched the state’s resources and now use it for their personal aggrandizement.
“The will of God will intervene to liberate the state with the help of Rivers Mainstream Coalition and put the state at the next level of progress with or without the help of those who think that Rivers State is for sale”.
Owate, who is also a lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt, urged PDP members to rise up and take up the fight for political freedom in Rivers State.
He had warned that Rivers State governorship ticket of the PDP is not for sale, adding that those working or pretending that they are working for Goodluck Jonathan should watch out, as ‘some are enemies of progress’.
It would be recalled that attempt by Mainstream Coalition hold a meeting at Delta Hotels,Port Harcourt,was visited with violence by sponsored thugs who beat up members, including traditional rulers.