The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, has denied claims linking its state chairman, Desmond Akawor to an alleged conspiracy with Senator Magnus Abe.
Two members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) claiming to be loyal to Abe’s faction of the party had in a viral video, over the weekend said they were invited to a meeting with the Rivers PDP chairman, Amb. Desmond Akawor at the residence of a chieftain of the APC, Worgu Boms on how to continue fueling the crises rocking the party.
However, a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Rivers PDP, Sydney Tambari dismissed the claims as a “false story” planned to embarrass the PDP chairman.
Tambari said the PDP has no business with the Rivers APC noting that “while it is not the business of the PDP to meddle into the private business of the APC, the mere mention of the name of the Chairman of our great party, the PDP made it imperative for us to respond.
The secretary said APC had continued to point accusing fingers at it, even in its internal crises.
According to the statement, “It is unfortunate that since the inception of the APC’s irreconcilable crises about four years ago, it has always been pointing of accusing fingers at the PDP, however, when we had our own share of internal crises we always resolved it amicably, without looking for who to blame. There is a saying that a drowning man would always look for who to grab so that they could drown together. This is exactly what is happening in the APC whose members now go from pillar to post desperately looking for who to blame for its self inflicted wounds.
“We believe that this false story of a meeting between Senator Magnus Abe’s group and the PDP Chairman in Rivers State, Ambassador Desmond Akawor was wilfully and maliciously planned to embarrass the person of the PDP Chairman. The PDP has the irresistible belief that the Press Conference was staged ostensibly to smear his hard-earned character, otherwise one would have wondered as to how those hungry-looking, unkempt figures were able to bankroll such a press conference involving four national television stations and other top national dailies in faraway Abuja if not sponsored by their paymaster, who has not attracted anything meaningful to the State that can better the lives of Rivers Youth, but rather choose to keep them impoverished so that they can be at his beck and call to the extent that they won’t mind mortgaging their conscience to do his bidding just for a pot of porridge.
“No right-thinking person will give in to such gimmicks. Note also that the spurious and unfounded allegation has no evidence to substantiate it by those hired insignificant elements. They should understand that they need to work smarter to be able to malign and discredit the character and person of Amb. Desmond Akawor, who has distinguished himself nationally and internationally. Thus, this hilliest lies and wanton blackmail is dead on arrival. Rivers people are wiser to decipher falsehood from the truth.
“The PDP sees the unending crises rocking the APC as unfortunate and an embarrassment to the State because Rivers people are known to be warm and hospitable, but those in the APC are portraying us otherwise.
“We want to for the umpteenth time, sound it loud and clear for those who care to listen, that the PDP has no hand in the imbroglio between the two factions of the APC in the State. They should understand that the days when such cheap blackmail festered in the public domain are gone.
“The APC factions in Rivers State have shown that they still have a long way to go in their lingering crises. If the Amaechi faction of the APC has problems with Senator Abe’s faction, the honourable thing to do is look for an amicable avenue to resolve the impasse rather than trying to rope in, or falsely involve PDP leaders who are preoccupied with building a solid and united party.
“Recall that we had already raised the alarm that in the build-up to the 2023 General elections, the APC will overheat the polity with falsehoods, unsubstantiated and malicious propaganda in an attempt to confuse the people. We have seen several of these attempts lately and this is another of such moves.
“But, let’ it be known that their continued stock in blackmail would do them no good. We appeal to the APC to channel its energy towards finding a common ground to resolve their crises, or better still drop their pride and over-bloated ego and consult PDP leaders in the State to tutor them on internal crisis management.
“PDP is not afraid to face the APC, in the forthcoming general election in 2023, which will warrant it to initiate moves to destabilise them, so that they will not be on the ballot. As a Party, we have oiled our machinery in readiness to give them a run for their money in 2023, after all, we have seen them storm the State with all manner of Federal might in previous elections, but ended up going back to Abuja in utter disappointments.
“We also have witnessed chanting of war songs, threatening fire and brimstone, yet we defeated them woefully, back to back. All what they have to offer is maiming and killing our youths in cold blood without an iota of remorse. Except they are planning to come in 2023 with the US marines or the American Seals, what else can they do because we have tasted all their bitter pills and it has emboldened and strengthened our resolve to stand with PDP and save our State.
“We, therefore, call on the good people of the state to discountenance the concocted lies dished to embarrass the person of the PDP Chairman, to hoodwink unsuspecting members of the public with a view to attracting sympathy and attention.
“We also encourage the State Party Chairman to continue with his good works in the Party and not to be deterred by the activities of naysayers whose aim is to distract him from moving the Party forward through their smear campaign of calumny.”
