“Stop Drinking Tea, Storm Rivers State, Stand By Fubara, Ikenga Urges PDP Governors

By Adesina Soyooye

Short of calling them cowards and unserious, a Peoples Democratic Party’s House of Assembly Member, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere Imo, has told all PDP Governors to rush down to Rivers State and stand in solidarity with their Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara.

Ugochinyere’s call came on the heels of the political crisis in Rivers State which has risen to high heavens over the Local Government Election scheduled for Saturday, October 5, 2024.

While the Rivers State Government, as authorised by law, is insisting on the election, factions of the PDP and the All Progressives Congress loyal to the immediate past Governor and Minister for the Federal Government Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, insist there will be no election.

Both the Rivers Government and the Wike faction are flaunting Court Orders, one from Abuja against the Council Election, and the other by a Rivers High Court  for the Election.

But street protests for, and against  the Election have, in the past three days, engulfed the State.

In the uncivilised hours of Friday morning, 1.00 am, men in police uniform invaded the premises of the Rivers State Electoral Commission, RSIEC, in a bid to cart away sensitive election materials. But alert was raised by security men who saw them scaling the wall.

On receiving the information, Governor Fubara stormed the RSIEC premises accompanied by stakeholders including members of the National and House Assemblies.

Seeing the overwhelming crowd, the invaders literally ran away.

But addressing the crowd, Fubara, angry but strong, asked them to stand firm; that election will hold; and queried the relationship between the Inspector General of Police, IGP, and Wike. He dared the IGP to go ahead and shoot him, and at a later Press Conference, asked Nigerians to hold the IGP responsible if anarchy breaks out in the State.

Not surprisingly, there has been no reaction from the National Headquarters of the PDP which Governor is under attack just as mum is the word from the PDP Governors Forum.

But Ikenga, ever courageous  and outspoken, has challenged the PDP Governors. He told them to fly down to Rivers State in solidarity with Fubara.

In a post on X  Ikenga Ugochinyere told PDP Governors to stop making the opposition look like jokers. If they were serious, he said, they should have been in Rivers State by now.

His words: “Serious opposition Governors would have flown to Rivers State right now and be seen with Governor Fubara side by side as show of strong solidarity.

“The right of Rivers people to vote is under attack from Federal Agents and you are drinking tea. Please stop making opposition look like jokers. Let the PDP and opposition Governors fly down to Rivers State, and boldly stand with Governor Fubara who has displayed great courage to defend democracy at all costs. Those at the gate of democracy in Rivers will soon lunch attack on your states, and what you do today can make or mar our democracy.

“The alleged failed attempt by police officers to run away with electoral materials for the LGA election is a treasonable action, that requires strong condemnation and solidarity from opposition Governors. Show that you are indeed leaders of this party for once as not adults scared of pro-Wike’s group’s rantings. #Rivers LGA election is going on.”