PDP Cancels Campaign Rally in Rivers State

Amid incessant attacks on supporters of Atiku Abubakar’s presidential bid in Rivers State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called off its campaign rally billed to hold in the state on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

The chairman of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State, Senator Lee Maeba, made the announcement on Monday while addressing the media. Maeba said the decision was necessitated by growing violence attacks on supporters of Atiku, masterminded by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, who he said had already declared members of the campaign council and Atiku supporters in the state as enemies of the State.

Since the conclusion of its presidential primary election that saw the emergence of Atiku as the party’s flagbearer in May 2022, the PDP has been dealing with internal crisis that has seen five governors break away, to form the G5 that has refused to support its presidential campaign due to leadership tussle. The group has insisted that the PDP national chairman, Iyiorcha Ayu, must step down for peace to reign.

Maeba said that the situation has deteriorated to the point that the supporters of Atiku have become targets of violence attacks.

“It is therefore instructive to note that this directive has direction in the vituperation of overt act of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike. In this instance, he has openly branded members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and all supporters of the presidential candidate as enemies of the state and vowed to crush them. Video evidence abounds to support our assertion.

“He admitted carrying out that attack on Dr. Abiye Sekibo and Senator Lee Maeba in his earlier statement at Eleme during a gubernatorial campaign rally on Friday, February 10, 2023.

“He boasted that the two armed robbers, Dr. Abiye Sekibo and Senator Lee Maeba were chased away when they came to take a land belonging to the Rivers State government and they are lucky they ran away before his arrival at the scene. He tried to make an unimpressive denial which does not hold water the next day.

“In the light of the above submission, we the state campaign council, in total constructive engagement with the National Presidential Campaign Council, the candidate and the party, haven seen and evaluated the bodily harm and potential death threats, believe that no lose of life can be tolerated, accepted before, during and after the presidential election and agree with our principals on the need to shelve and or cancel the rally to avoid any death because the victory of Atiku Abubakar does not deserve spilling of the blood  of even one citizen of Rivers State.

“This may be painful, but is the best decision to take as no human death can be excused on the insistence of hosting a rally due to the brigandage which the security agencies have not been able to break in and restore confidence, security wise, on the populace and our members.

“Finally, we pray the President and Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari, act decisively as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by instructing and making sure that the security agencies do their job in an impartial manner that will restore confidence and buy into free and fair election as he has variously mentioned that he will ensure that no thug, no government will stand in the way of free and fair election. And to also ensure that nobody use his resources to purchase Nigerians to get into the Presidency,” he said.

The infighting in the PDP has significantly impacted its chances in the 2023 presidential race. Rivers State had yielded a large number of votes for the PDP in the past and the party is counting on the state to win the February 25 election. With peace yet to return to the party, Atiku’s hope of securing Rivers State votes has become shattered.

The G5 governors led by Wike had said they would announce the presidential candidate they will support, killing hope of reconciliation.