14th November, 2014
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has declared that it will beat the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ruthlessly during next year’s governorship and other elections.
“We have nothing to worry about because there is no visible opposition in the state. The PDP, which has been making noise all over the place, is only blowing hot air and will be trounced at the polls next year,” Rivers APC Chairman, Dr. Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, said.
Dr. Ikanya, in a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt, said there was no way PDP could dislodge APC in the state.
He said assurances of his party’s chances of winning in 2015 became necessary due to enquiries by some political observers, who are expressing surprise that APC seems not to be doing much with regard to campaigns for the 2015 gubernatorial elections at a time when PDP aspirants have pasted their posters in many parts of the state, especially the capital city of Port Harcourt.
He said party members and supporters should be rest assured that all is well and that Rivers APC is ever ready for the 2015 elections.
He insisted that APC as a party is divinely positioned to win both the Rivers state governorship elections and the presidential election.
On why Rivers APC governorship aspirants have not engaged in a poster war with their PDP counterparts, Dr. Ikanya said: “Not all APC guber aspirants have been quiet. For instance, the posters of Hon. Engr. Victoria W Nyeche and the billboards of Elder Chidi Wihioka are all over the town. We do not, however, consider this necessary in view of the fact that in APC we are one cohesive, vibrant and united family, with Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi as our leader.
He said the party encourages those interested to run for public office to consult and campaign among members of the family first to receive their blessings and once they succeed in this regard, they can then go out to educate the public about their aspirations, including through posters and billboards.
Dr Ikanya noted that most of the aspirants are involved in-house campaigns, assuring that next week most of them will be encouraged by the family to go out for campaigns and people will start seeing massive posters and billboards all over the place to educate all about their aspirations.
On why the party adopted this strategy, Dr. Ikanya said it was in view of the lack of any strong opposition in the state. “PDP, which was supposed to be a vibrant opposition, is now in a sorrowful state with the help of former junior minster for education, Chief Nyesom Wike, whose imposition as governorship candidate has rendered the party in the state comatose. Sixteen other guber aspirants from the party continue to kick against his imposition, thereby making the party a laughing stock.
He said the imposition of Wike on the PDP underscores how Wike, former governor Peter Odili and the family of President Jonathan are helping APC to win the state. “If Wike is allowed by the leadership of the PDP to emerge as governor aspirant, it will mean that for 24 years, the people of Rivers mainland would have ruled the state at the expense and great marginalisation of the other major ethnic nationalities.”
Ikanya assured Rivers people that APC will present the best candidates for all elective posts. “We are fully aware that Rivers people expect us to form the next government in the state and we don’t want to abuse this privilege,” he said.
“APC has been divinely set up to address the evil, injustice and lack of equity in PDP. Based on this fact we as a party have zoned our guber slot to the South East Senatorial District. In this regard, as the government-in-waiting, we have been busy studying the report of the Research Team we commissioned to produce a blueprint on where we want to take Rivers state from 2015 to 2019”.