The ongoing leadership struggle within the Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reached a critical juncture, with the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa, calling on the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to formally recognise Governor Siminalayi Fubara as the state party leader.
Omatsogunwa emphasized the urgent need to correct what he described as an “anomaly” within the Rivers PDP, where former governor Nyesom Wike is contesting the leadership with Governor Fubara. He pointed out that, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the norm has been for the sitting governor to lead the ruling party in the state, questioning why Fubara’s situation should be an exception.
The leadership tussle between Fubara and Wike, which has been simmering since late last year, has led to a deepening crisis within the Rivers PDP, culminating in factionalization. Notably, while the party’s ward and local government congresses went ahead last weekend, Fubara was conspicuously absent as Wike took charge of proceedings.
Omatsogunwa’s appeal comes as the PDP Governors’ Forum has called for the cancellation of the Rivers ward and local government congresses, which have effectively handed control of the party to Wike. However, Wike, in a defiant stance, warned other PDP governors to stay out of his dispute with Fubara, threatening to destabilise their states if they intervened.
Omatsogunwa urged the NWC to restore leadership of the Rivers PDP to Governor Fubara, stressing that this is the “right thing” to do. He argued that the historical precedent in Rivers State has always been for the sitting governor to lead the party, citing the examples of former governors Peter Odili, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and Nyesom Wike, all of whom held dual roles as political and party leaders.
Omatsogunwa warned that failing to correct the current situation could have dire consequences for the PDP in Rivers State, drawing a parallel with the internal strife that plagued the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state in 2019, which ultimately led to the party’s exclusion from that year’s elections. He cautioned the PDP against ignoring court orders, which have already placed the party’s recent congresses in jeopardy.
Echoing Omatsogunwa’s concerns, Timothy Osadolor, a member of the PDP’s National Executive Committee and the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, also called for decisive action from the NWC and the Governors’ Forum in addressing Wike’s threats. In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Osadolor criticized Wike’s recent statements as “unnecessary and distasteful,” suggesting that the former governor should be seeking reconciliation rather than issuing threats.
Osadolor urged the party leadership to take a firm stand against Wike, stating, “The party is supreme and must act as a supreme entity. An adequate response should be given to the threats he has made.” He further argued that Wike’s continued grandstanding should not be tolerated within the party, suggesting that the former governor must either align himself with the party’s rules or face the consequences of his actions.
