Barely few weeks to the 2015 governorship election, elders of Rivers State have given the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a week ultimatum to substitute its governorship candidate in the state, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike with a candidate from the riverine axis of the state.
The elders, under the auspices of Rivers Elders and Leaders Council (RELC) also called on President Goodluck Jonathan to prevail on the national leadership of the PDP to ensure the withdrawal of Wike in the interest of equity, justice and fairness to various ethnic nationalities that make up the state.
Chairman of RELC, Chief Albert Horsfall, who disclosed this while speaking to newsmen at Omagwa, Port Harcourt, after the meeting of the elders on Monday, said if by January 5, 2015, the PDP fails to substitute Wike, the people of the state would be mobilised to vote for the riverine candidate of any other political party that can win the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Horsfall said, “What we are saying here is that if the Peoples Democratic Party fails to substitute Nyesom Wike by January 5, 2015, all true Rivers people will vote en masse for the riverine candidate of any other party that can win election in Rivers State.
“Mr President is our son; we are appealing to him to prevail on the PDP to substitute Wike, but if they fail, we will encourage other aspirants to close ranks and produce a riverine candidate who has the potential to win the governorship of this state.”
He said, as elders, they were not opposed to the reconciliation initiated by the PDP governorship candidate, but true reconciliation within the party would commence once Wike withdraws as the party’s candidate.
