The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its decision to boycott the upcoming local government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024.
The development comes after a stakeholders’ meeting at the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, where state party Chairman Aaron Chukwuemeka disclosed that the party will await the court verdict on a suit instituted by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chukwuemeka stated that the party is not part of the APC’s suit but will respect the court’s order restraining the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) from proceeding with the election. He urged party members to stay away from any election-related activities.
“We’ve just risen from a stakeholders meeting and took the following decisions that as a law-abiding party we will not be part of the purported local government election that they have slated for the 5th of October,” Chukwuemeka stated.
The boycott follows the defection of Caretaker Committee Chairmen loyal to Governor Siminalayi Fubara from the PDP to the Action People’s Party (APP). The defection came after an alleged hijack of the state PDP structure by Governor Fubara’s predecessor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The lingering misunderstanding between Fubara and Wike has led to a political crisis in the state, with council chairmen and their supporters loyal to Governor Fubara joining the APP in droves. Almost all candidates vying for chairmanship and councillorship positions are now running under the APP platform, with campaigns already underway.