20th October, 2014
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Alabo Tonye Graham Douglas, a member of Board of Trustees, BOT, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a founding member of the party in Rivers state has said the party should not field another Ikwerre man in the next election. Douglas also lashed at the Felix Obuah, the state chairman of the party saying he needs a psychiatric examination for daring to accuse him of being a mole for All Progressive Congress (APC).
The four-time Minister of Federal Republic is infuriated by the fact that the state executive of the PDP, is rooting for the immediate past minister of state for Education, Nyesom Wike, an Ikwerre to take over from Governor Chibuike Amaechi, also an Ikwerre. This will mean that Ikwerre’s will rule Rivers for 24 years uninterrupted.
After many years of silence, Douglas rejected another Ikwerre governor, stating that Kalabari and Ogonis who have not produced a governor, deputy, Chief Judge or Speaker of state House Assembly as morally unjustified.
It is perhaps against this backdrop that the stance of the PDP BOT member is at the point of political convergence with Governor Amaechi who was in PDP but now a leader of the APC in state that an Ikwerre should not succeed him for fairness and equity.
He had argued: “Rivers remains a PDP state, with the riverine Ijaw group absolutely supportive of the President’s election for a second term but that of governor could tear the state apart. This is why it is my fervent solicitation that that PDP must not field another Ikwerre aspirant, but someone from the Riverine Ijaw or Ogoni”.
Not comfortable with Douglas’s political stand, Obuah, over the weekend accused Douglas of having a secret meeting with Governor Amaechi on Sunday to plot against PDP’s desire to take over the Government House.
The Elder statesman dismissed the allegation by Obuah as inconceivable and an insult for someone to imagine that he was in Abuja attending the 80th Birthday of General Yakubu Gowon, the former head of state at same time he was accused of holding a meeting with Amaechi.
He said: “It shows someone who has no pedigree and good upbringing. I am a founding member of PDP and I am not APC. Enough is Enough. I can assure you that never and never again shall the riverine Ijaw and Ogoni groups be marginalized and deprived.”