By Davies Iheamnachor
Port Harcourt – The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected claims by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Nyesom Wike, that the PDP no longer exists in Rivers State.
In a statement on Monday, the party described Wike as a politician without a party, noting that he has been expelled from the PDP and has yet to formally join the APC.
The Acting Chairman of PDP in Rivers State, Nname Robinson Ewor, insisted that the PDP remains fully operational in the state despite the defection of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, 16 members of the State House of Assembly, and other lawmakers to the APC.
Ewor clarified that while Governor Fubara leads the APC in Rivers State, he himself heads the PDP. He also dismissed any claims of agreements between Wike and the governor as personal matters that do not affect the electorate.
He stated: “I listened to him (Wike) where he said that there is no PDP and no APC in Rivers State. That is not true. The APC in Rivers State is led by the Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, while the PDP is led by my humble self. Any agreement between Wike and the governor is personal. It has nothing to do with the people of Rivers State, who are the ones to decide whether to renew the governor’s mandate in 2027.”
Ewor described the wave of defections from PDP as driven by personal interests rather than the welfare of the people. He stressed that such moves would not weaken the party or its policies.
“Defections at any level—governors, senators, representatives, or state assembly members—are personal decisions and will not damage the party. PDP will continue to pursue development and people-oriented policies that neutralize self-seeking politicians,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Acting Secretary of PDP in Rivers State, Chief Ojima Ochima, warned Wike against stoking tribal or ethnic divisions in the state for political gain. Ochima criticized the minister’s remarks about Ikwerre supremacy in politics, stressing that all tribes in Rivers are equally important.