Merger, best to have happened to Nigeria’s democracy —Rivers govt

The Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House, Tony Okocha, has described the defection of Governor Amaechi and others to the APC as the best thing that has happened to democracy in the country in recent times, adding that the governor had the support of all the members of his political formation in the decision.

But the state chapter of PDP described the development as a vindication of its conviction all along.

Speaking on the development on Tuesday, Okocha said all the supporters of the governor were with him in the movement.

“We are with the governor in this. We are going with him. All members of the governor’s political team are united on this. You saw it when the governor received the APC chieftains in the state the last time.

“In recent times, it is the best thing that has happened to our democracy, because, it is a merger of like minds. People who have resolved to catapult the country from the dungeon that we are now to an apposite point. It is a good omen for the country and our democracy,” he said.

But the state PDP said the official exit from the party by the G7 aggrieved governors, including Governor Amaechi, to APC was not a shocker, but a vindication of its earlier revelation.

The party, in a statement signed by Jerry Needam, special adviser on media to the state chairman, said with the formal defection of Amaechi and his associates, the party was now better placed and focused to deliver to the people of the state the much desired development and programmes.

It said the defection of Amaechi was inconsequential to the success of PDP in Rivers State and the country, saying rather than create adverse effect on the party, it would further strengthen it at all levels.

The party said in coming days, it would organise a thanksgiving service in celebration of the exit of the undesirable elements and thank God for answering its prayers.

Umaru Dikko-led PDP disciplinary committee meets today
The national disciplinary committee raised by PDP, headed by Alhaji Umaru Dikko to try Oyinlola and other would meet in Abuja, today.

Already, the committee had written to Oyinlola and others to formally appear before it today, to defend the allegations of anti-party activities levelled against them by the Alhaji Tukur-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

Others invited alongside Oyinlola were Alhaji Baraje, Dr Jaja and Ambassador Ibrahim Kazaure.

A member of the committee told the Nigerian Tribune in confidence that irrespective of the recent development, the committee would go ahead with its meeting today.

According to the source, “we want to give them the right to fair hearing, that’s why the committee invited them, but if they say they are not coming,we will still go ahead. We cannot force anyone of them to come and appear before us. That is our position for now.”

Move not a loss to PDP - Sagay, Odumakin, others
Lagos-based constitutional lawyer, Professor Itse Sagay, on Tuesday, said the movement of the governors to APC was not a loss to PDP, while sounding a note of warning to APC that it may be inviting trouble into its camp by bringing in rebel governors nursing a personal agenda into its fold.

He also berated the northern governors, saying while the APC was preoccupied with salvaging Nigeria from years of misrule, the motives of the governors, excluding Amaechi, for defecting to APC was principally for power to return to the North.

Also reacting, another Lagos-based lawyer and human rights activist, Bamidele Aturu, said the primary motives of the gladiators in the current arrangement was to feather their nests and not to advance the cause of Nigerians, adding that the movement of the rebel governors to the APC had proven to Nigerians that there was no clear-cut difference between the political parties in Nigeria.

Also, Afenifere spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, advised APC to remove the word ‘change’ from its motto, saying APC could not be talking about bringing change to the country when it was still doing business with prominent members of PDP.

According to him, by aligning with members of the party that had brought the country on its knees, the APC had shown that it had nothing new to offer Nigerians, if it eventually became the ruling party.

No comment yet – Shekarau
Former Kano State governor, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, while reacting to the development through a phone call fom Abuja said “I am now in Abuja at party  leaders’ meeting. My comments afterwards.”