One of the opinion leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Rivers State, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, has said the party would have died and gone extinct in the state if not for the timely intervention of the Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike.
Alabraba explained that Wike’s decision to finance the state PDP has made it possible for the party to continue to survive and increase in strength.
He recalled that the State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, left the party with the governorship mandate of the PDP to the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the state capital on Wednesday, Alabraba, who expressed support for the party’s ‘no zoning’ declaration for the governorship position, added that Amaechi took the structure of the PDP with him to the APC.
He pointed out that most members of the state PDP currently angling for the party’s governorship ticket, did nothing to ensure that the party was financed when Amaechi left it for the APC.
Accoridng to Alabraba, “Without Wike, the PDP would have been extinct in Rivers State. Governor Amaechi practically took the structure of the PDP with him to the APC. When it happened, most members of the PDP felt dejected but did nothing until Wike rose up to re-invent the PDP in Rivers State.
“Most of those who are angling to run for the sole ticket of the party in 2015 are identifying with the party today because of its popularity in the state.
“How can you show interest to run on the platform of a party without contributing to the growth and development of the party? They forget that we are running party politics. How can they achieve their ambition if they do not identify with the party?”
