Police Barricade Rivers PDP Secretariat As Leadership Crisis Deepens

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria  

Tension escalated in Port Harcourt on Thursday, as police barricaded the road leading to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat on Aba Road, amid intensifying leadership tussle.

The action followed reports of a planned takeover of the secretariat by the newly-formed Acting Executive Committee after a court ruling nullified the party’s previously elected executive.

On Monday, a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt nullified the ward, local government, and state congresses conducted by the PDP in 2024.

This decision deepened the leadership crisis and triggered a series of confrontations between rival factions.

Although the planned takeover of the secretariat was suspended, both factions held separate press conferences to assert their authority, reflecting the growing divide within the party.

Crowds of party supporters gathered near the secretariat, creating a charged and tense atmosphere.

Aaron Chukwuemeka, leader of the restrained executive, condemned the rising number of court cases involving the party, urging Governor Siminalayi Fubara to prioritise peace and stability within the PDP.

State Legal Adviser, Kingsley Chuku (SAN), revealed that the party had not yet received the court ruling, but planned to appeal the decision once it was made available.

Chukwuemeka and Chuku further accused members of the Acting Executive of being affiliated with the All People’s Party (APP), questioning their legitimacy to lead the PDP.

Meanwhile, Robinson Nname-Ewor, the Acting Chairman of the PDP, announced the suspension of the planned takeover of the secretariat to avoid escalating tensions.

However, he reiterated his demands for resolving the crisis, including reinstating leadership under Governor Fubara and recognizing the Acting Executive Committee at the state level.

Nname-Ewor also disclosed plans to establish a disciplinary committee to investigate allegations of anti-party activities, particularly those linked to the 2023 general elections.

Despite the suspension of the takeover, the unresolved grievances and rival claims to leadership suggest the Rivers PDP crisis is far from over.