12th March, 2024
…PDP Threatens Rivers people will soon declare Akpabio persona non grata
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has declared the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, an enemy of the people of the state.
The party said this while accusing Akpabio of stirring up crisis in the State with his action and utterances on issues concerning Rivers.
However, the PDP in a statement signed by Tambari Sydney Gbara made the declaration following comments made by Akpabio in response to a statement by Rivers State Governor Siminialayi Fubara during the burial of the late Chief Herbert Wigwe, wife and son at Isiokpo on Saturday 9th March 2024.
Recall that at the funeral ceremony, Fubara during his speech said: “Here we are, people from all walks of life to pay our last respect to the Wigwes because he was able to affect lives positively when he was alive even when he was not a politician, yet he controlled the business class as well as the political class with his fame, affluent and wealth but could not control death, which brings me to a question to the politicians; Why the struggle to kill and bury one another over power”.
“It was a solemn and mind-bugging question to underline the ephemerality of life and the futility of political brigandage in the quest for power. The statement itself took mourners on a philosophical drive of sober reflection on the gains and vanity of life. The applause from sympathisers and mourners at the burial.
The PDP however noted that the speech “drew the anger of Senator Akpabio who mounted the rostrum afterwards to fight, after narrating a concocted fallacious story between him and a former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom state over a power struggle, attempted to ridicule Governor Fubara by asking him to resign if there was no need to struggle to kill for power.”
While condemning Akpabio’s statement, the PDP accused the Senate President of “consistently showing disdain, unimaginable level of disrespect and hatred for Fubara through his utterances at public functions in the State.
“His actions against Rivers people had never been pleasant but embarrassing, as he seems to have taken advantage of the political impasse in the State to perfect his evil enterprise of igniting more crises to the detriment of the State”.
“The PDP also recalled that in 2021 when Youths from Rivers State in conjunction with Niger Delta youths blocked the Akpajo-Onne section of the East-West road in a peaceful protest following its dilapidated nature, Senator Godswill Akpabio, then Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, deceived the youths by hiring some road construction equipment, moved them to the road, thereby raising the false impression that the contractors had moved to the site to commence work on the failed part of the road.
“But not long after the youth withdrew from the road that Senator Akpabio, removed the equipment at night from the road, leaving it worse than it was and causing a number avoidable death of Rivers people and other users of the road”.
“Another instance of display of obvious hatred for Rivers people by Senator Akpabio was the harassment and attempted abduction of an illustrious daughter of the State, Gbene Joi Nunieh from her house here in Port Harcourt, during her appointment as NDDC Acting Managing Director, just to make sure that she was removed”.
“Recently, at a church service in Tai local government area, the same Akpabio had made a ridiculous remark regarding the 2027 Governorship election in Rivers State”.
PDP recalled that at the service, Akpabio had called on the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to look for somebody from the Ogoni extraction who will take over from Governor Siminialayi Fubara in 2027. Such a statement was a huge embarrassment which could provoke a crisis as the Governor has not told anyone that he would not seek reelection in 2027.
According to the PDP, “All these have exposed Senator Godswill Akpabio’s desire to stir up sentiments and aggravate the political crisis already confronting the State”.
The PDP said it is indeed sad that rather than use his position as Senate President to play the role of a mediator in resolving the crises, as a South-South son, Akpabio is joining forces with the enemies of the State in fanning the embers of war, disunity and destabilization, through incisive and provocative comments each time he visits Rivers State.
The party noted that the Senate President does not do the same thing in his home State of Akwa Ibom, also a PDP controlled State.
It noted that in Akwa Ibom Senator Akpabio preaches peace, unity and progress in public functions but does the opposite in Rivers State.
“The PDP therefore uses this medium to advise Senator Akpabio to refrain from verbal attacks on the Executive Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Sir Siminialayi Fubara as the people of the State would no longer take for granted, such comments capable of further dividing the people”.
“The PDP, also warned that if however, Senator Akpabio decides to continue to choose the path of dishonour by making negative, unprovoked utterances against Governor Fubara,, he may not be welcomed into Rivers State again.
“PDP appeals to the President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to call Godswill Akpabio to order as his consistent throwing of tantrums at the State Governor and the people is capable of provoking crisis in the State, which is against the tenets of the Peace Proclamation Mr President brokered.
“The party also advises him to concentrate more on his job as Senate president and avoid delving into petty issues in Rivers State.
“The party enjoins Rivers people to continue to have faith in the present administration as it is poised to deliver democratic dividends to the poor and downtrodden people of the State, while also appealing to Rivers people to resist petty actions and utterances capable of derailing the direction of administration under the leadership of Governor Fubara,” the Rivers chapter of PDP said in the statement.