RIVERS STATE: Thugs set PDP Secretariat on fire

Unknown persons have reportedly set fire to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretariat along Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. PM News reports that the deed was done by unknown persons who also tied up the security guards on duty.

Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser to the state PDP Chairman, Felix Obuah on media said that the early arrival of state fire service helped to put out the fire.

Also, Obuah, was quoted as saying: “An attempt to burn the party secretariat has being carried out by desperate politicians who want the party to postpone the party’s ward and local Government. Congresses scheduled to take place tomorrow, Saturday. They have failed because arrangements have concluded and we are going ahead. Nobody can stop it. PDP will come tops.

“We have watching on news of some desperate politicians threatening the party”

Fifteen governorship aspirants in the party had on Thursday held a rally at the Liberation stadium in Port Harcourt where they insisted on rotation of power in the State PDP. Many of the aspirants accuse former Minister of State for Education, Nyesom Wike, of hijacking the party.

Wike, who is also gunning for the state’s governorship seat, had about a week ago said that he would not accept any concept of zoning or rotation of elective positions in the state.

Wike hails from the Ikwere ethnic nationality, same zone where the current governor, Rotimi Amaechi hails from. The other aspirants want the next governor to come from another zone.

Speaking at a press conference where he unveiled his campaign office, Wike said: “I will not accept any attempt to impose any governorship candidate on the party. Let all the governorship aspirants go to the primaries to test their popularity. These are critical times, so it is in the interest of our party to put the best candidate forward for the 2015 governorship election”.

“Why are they clamouring for zoning? If the other aspirants truly believe that they are popular, why are they shying away from participating in an open contest? Who among them can match Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, at the polls in 2015? Who among the aspirants in the Peoples’ Democratic Party can defeat me at the primaries?”