Another claimant to Rivers PDP chair emerges

There is a twist to the River State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis following the emergence of another claimant to the chairmanship seat.

An Abuja Court order ousted Chairman of the party Chief Godspower Ake, following which the party’s national leadership swore in Chief Felix Obuah. Ake has rejected the judgment and he is in court pressing for the seat.

But yesterday, Prince Merinoe Okiriaja claimed he should be the real chairman of the party.

Okiriaja is challenging Obuah’s chairmanship. Yesterday, he prayed the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt to declare him the state party chairman in a case which he said he instituted before the April 15 verdict of the Abuja High Court, which removed the Ake-led executive.

Justice Suleiman Aliyu ruled that counsel to Obuah, Mr Emma Ukala, whom the plaintiff wanted to include in the case had just received the motion for joiner in the court room on behalf of his client and needed time to go through it for appropriate response. Ukala was represented by Mr Dike Udenna

Justice Aliyu adjourned hearing till July 1.

Speaking after the court session, Okiriaja explained that he is the rightful chairman of the party adding that neither Obuah nor Ake obtained the nomination form from the party.

He hailed the Abuja High Court ruling which removed the Ake-led team and prayed that such justice be demonstrated in his own case.

Okiriaja said the claim allegedly made by Ake that he purchased his nomination form on March 13, 2012 while the state congress took place on March 17, 2012 is a violation of a section of the party’s constitution which stipulates that anybody vying for any position should have concluded all documentations at least two weeks to the time.

He also boasted that he has the magic wand to unite the party members because according to him, he has the soul of the party in his hands.

Okirija said being the youngest founding member of the party, he would hold the party together because he has acquired a lot of experience while working with the late Senator Francis Ellah, the late Chief A.K.Dikibo and Mr. Dele Cole. He said he was the pioneer administrative secretary of the party in the Southsouth zone.

Source: The Nation