17th November, 2022
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike and leader of G-5 Governors of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has invited four of other members of the group for the official kick off of the party’s campaign for 2023 election scheduled for Saturday November 19, at Adokiye Amasiemeka stadium, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
The G-5 Governors also known as members of ‘Integrity Group’ will be treated to a State Banquet to be hosted by Governor Wike at Government House, Port Harcourt will be on Friday, November 18 before the rally where the party’s governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara and the deputy governorship candidate, Professor Mrs Ngozi Odu will be unveiled on Saturday.
Aside Wike, the other members of the G-5 Governors are Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State.
The Director-General of Rivers PDP Campaign Council, Felix Obuah, who disclosed this while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt said the G-5 Governors will perform the symbolic unveiling of the party’s candidates ahead of the 2023 elections in the State
He also said contrary to claims by the opposition political parties in Rivers, the recently signed Executive Order 21 and 22 of Governor Wike were not meant to frustrate campaigns of other political parties.
He added that the PDP is also bound by the Executive Orders.
“Port Harcourt had been called the Garden City because of it neatness and orderlies. So we agree, and abide by Executive Orders that regulate the use of residential houses for pasting of campaign posters, and we have also met requirement as party for use of Adokiye Amasiemeka stadium”.
Obuah who is the immediate past head of the Rivers the Rivers State Waste Management Agency,RIWAMA, said the party supports the fact that the state can not be left filthy because of disorderly pasting of posters in unauthorized places.
“As the clock ticks and public attention turns towards the direction of Rivers State, we want to be ready to fight with our sleeves roll-up and win the 2023 Governorship election and sweep the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
“We’re merely asking for a fresh mandate to build on the outstanding performance of Governor Wike, who is still building and commissioning sustainable projects at time his colleagues are winding down their tenure”.
He boasted that PDP is the only party Rivers people know and has been delivering the dividends of democracy to them since 1999 and they will not allow the state be used as “a Laboratory for experimental Governance” by those jostling power in State.
Our Correspondent reports that the plan to win the Presidential election with Atiku Abubakar represents was conspicuous left out because of the crisis in party orchestrated by refusal of Iyorchia Ayu, the National Chairman of PDP to resign as demanded by the G-5 Governors for equity and justice
Obuah also dismissed the allegation that Wike signed Executive Order 21 and 22 because the ruling party is threatened by the emergence of formidable political parties.
Executive Order 21 among others bars the use of public schools for political campaigns Campaigns without the permission from the Commissioner of Education and a nonrefundable fee of N5m, while Executive Order 22 bans the use of private buildings as campaign offices and pasting of campaign posters.
“What we have in the state are mere Social Associations that are bedeviled with self-inflicted internal crisis and they are looking for who to blame,”he said.
On the accusation that its governorship candidate, Siminalayi Fubara was not fairly elected, Obuah who was among the governorship aspirants, but later stepped down said that power can never be bequeathed on any person unless it’s divinely ordained.