PDP rep dismisses Rivers State congress as Wike’s ‘owambe party’

Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency, has rejected the validity of the recent People’s Democratic Party (PDP) congress purportedly held in Rivers State. According to Ugochinyere, the event was not a legitimate congress but rather a social gathering hosted by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, under the guise of party activities.

The congress, which took place over the weekend, has been marred by controversy, with complaints from several states, including Rivers, Benue, Katsina, and Kogi. In Rivers State, the congress proceeded despite an existing court order preventing such a process, leading to tensions between the PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the PDP Governors Forum, which supports Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s leadership of the party in the state.

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Wike and his faction, however, have claimed control of the party structure in Rivers after the event, which was boycotted by Governor Fubara and his supporters. The PDP has since clarified that the entire process remains under review by party organs.

In a strongly worded statement, Ugochinyere, the spokesperson for the G-60 group of federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives, dismissed the event as a “jamboree” and “exercise in futility.” He described the gathering as a mere “owambe party” held by Wike to maintain appearances before his dwindling base of supporters.

“Take it from me, there is no PDP state congress yet in Rivers State,” Ugochinyere stated. “Wike, out of desperation to look good before his dwindling followers, held an owambe party and called it a state congress.”

He reminded the public of the interim court order issued by Justice Charles Wali of the Port Harcourt State High Court in July, which had halted any attempts by the PDP to conduct congresses in Rivers State. “The court decision was clear, and the congress was stopped from holding,” Ugochinyere continued, labelling the supposed congress an illegal exercise.

The lawmaker further accused some members of the PDP of aligning with the APC in an attempt to pass off family gatherings as official party congresses. “The purported congress is a nullity,” he said, stressing that any such activities will be set aside due to the standing court order.

With the PDP in Rivers State now divided between the Wike faction and those loyal to Governor Fubara, the legitimacy of the congress remains under scrutiny, while the broader implications for the party’s internal unity continue to unfold.