Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency in Imo State, stated that there was no official congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State over the weekend. Instead, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, organized a gathering with his friends, claiming it was a party congress.
The state congresses of the main opposition party were held over the weekend, but there were complaints from various states, including Rivers, Benue, Katsina, and Kogi. In Rivers, the congress proceeded despite a court order against it.
This situation has caused a dispute between the National Working Committee (NWC) that approved the congress and the PDP Governors Forum, which supports Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the party leader in the state. Nyesom Wike and his faction are also asserting control of the party structure after a congress that the state governor and his supporters boycotted.
The PDP has stated that the process is open to review by the party’s organs. Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for G-60 federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives, criticized the congress organized by the Wike faction, calling it a joke and a mere celebration.
He emphasized that no official PDP Congress took place in Rivers State, and accused Wike of holding a party under the guise of a congress to boost his image among his diminishing followers. Despite a court order against holding congresses in the state, Ugochinyere described Wike’s gathering as pointless and a sign of desperation.
He highlighted that the court order must be respected, and any attempt to pass off a family gathering as a PDP congress is invalid. Ugochinyere said that the supposed congress in Rivers State is meaningless and will be disregarded due to the existing court order.