Wike and the PDP celebrate the defection of Rivers APC stalwarts.

Members of Rivers’ Peoples Democratic Party, led by Governor Nyesom Wike, are preparing to beat the drums in celebration of the defection of key members of the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, into their fold.

Defecting APC members will be welcomed at a grand reception in Port Harcourt on Thursday, including Ogbonna Nwuke, who resigned as the party’s spokesperson last week for “personal reasons.”

Nwuke, a former member of the House of Representatives representing the Etche-Omuma constituency, has also served as Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications as well as Commerce and Industry.

Desmond Akawor, Rivers PDP Chairman, stated that Governor Wike will greet APC members at Isacc Boro Park tomorrow, Thursday, September 30th, 2021. Members of other parties who have recently declared their support for the PDP will also be welcomed at the event.

Chibudom Nwuche, former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon.Stephen Ezekwem, former Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon.Emma Deeya, former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Alabo Charles Dokubo, Hon.Ngo Martins Yellowe, former Chairman of the Civil Service Commission, and Hon. Goodlife Mmekini are among those who will be formally welcomed into the APC fold.

The event invitation card is already making its rounds in Rivers.

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Though he cited “personal reasons” in a statement as the reason for his resignation as Rivers APC spokesman, Nwuke has also been quoted as saying, “I was told that there is change in the APC, but I did not see any change.”

“My defection will benefit the Etche people. The only thing we have in APC is an aide to the NDDC Chairman and a member of the governing board of a college in the north.”
In addition, in an interview with our correspondent last week, Nwuke expressed his dissatisfaction with his role as APC spokesman.

He claimed that the party’s leadership did not support him in carrying out his duties.

Nwuke refrained from naming those he claimed caused him to leave the party.

Analysts, however, have placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Rotimi Amaechi, the state’s transportation minister and the party’s leader.

Amaechi is accused of running the party as a dictator and sole proprietor.

An APC insider told our correspondent that one of the immediate reasons for leaving the party was that Amaechi rejected his interest in running for the party’s chairmanship in the state during a stakeholders’ meeting in Port Harcourt about a week ago.

This is in addition to the unresolved conflict between Amaechi and former Senator Magnus Abe and his supporters over control of the APC Rivers chapter.

However, it will be another setback for Amaechi, whose party was barred from participating in the Rivers general election in 2019 due to a slew of court cases.

Several calls made to Nwuke on Wednesday were unsuccessful because his phone lines had been disconnected.