by PRESS BRIEFING OF THE STATE CHAIRMAN OF PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP), RIVERS STATE CHAPTER, AMB. DESMOND AKAWOR ON THE 23RD OF FEBRUARY 2022 AT PDP SECRETARIAT, RIVERS STATE.
“The Unwarranted Outcry of Cross Rivers State APC and her Impossible Demands: a Case of Timidity, Confusion and Resignation to Empty Threats”
Our attention is drawn to the rather lackadaisical, callous, and unconstitutional speech given at a press conference by the Cross Rivers State APC Chairman, one Alphonsus Eba, who sounded the politically and legally dumbest in the year 2022. But not to worry, the year is still young to give a prize.
Just like the saying “when the thing greater than the cricket enters its hole, the cricket runs for fear”. It does not in any way presuppose that the thing which entered the cricket’s hole had entered with the intention of causing chaos. It is only an impulse felt by the inferiority of the cricket, and it acts in sheer timidity. This adage aptly describes the visit of His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike CON, GSSRS, POS Africa, “Mr. Quality Project” to Cross Rivers State.
Alphonsus Eba went on and ahead to expose his ignorance at the political and local grand schemes, by stating quite shamelessly that the visit of His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, was to intimidate and bully him and his fast-eroding party, and then he committed the most unforgivable fallacy; daring to declare the Dike Ohna 1 of Ikwerre and Governor of Rivers State a security risk, and warning him off the terrain of Cross Rivers State.
Firstly, if we should lend some credence to his rather foolish words and consider it on the merits, when has a mere visit for a political rally become such as to incite violence in the State nor on Mr. Eba and his cancerous APC party? It goes to show the foundational pillars upon which APC builds: political intolerance, zero democracy and zero conformation of opposition participation. Otherwise, why is the Cross Rivers APC wailing and crying wolf over a mere legally and morally justified political rally of the PDP in Cross Rivers State? Are they allergic to opposition activities? That has never and can never be the PDP.
The PDP is a political party whose blueprint is that of democracy, inclusion, and condonation. If the PDP had ever in the records of history been like the APC currently is, then the APC would not have seen the light of power. What exactly are they afraid of? Is it not that which is bound to happen? It is indeed advisable that the APC begins now to ready their crying handkerchiefs, as more tears are bound to flow.
Again, who is Mr. Eba, a rather political piece-of-furniture character, to declare a sitting governor a security risk? The millipede challenges the elephant to a dance because it thinks it is a contest for the one with more legs.
May we bring it to the knowledge of Mr. Eba that his speech is suggestive of the fact (which is ostensible) that his political party also exists in flagrant disregard of fundamental rights, right to expression, right to movement, right to franchise, right to association. May we also add that these rights are constitutional, legal, transboundary, and do not change because Cross Rivers State is concerned.
His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, an illustrious chieftain of PDP, a political lifesaver, the Rivers rock of Gibraltar, and an upright leader by all means, had visited Cross Rivers State for her By-Elections for the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State Constituency billed for Saturday, 26 February, 2022.
It was a rally for campaign flag off. It will be recalled that the police had in the earlier hours of Saturday barricaded the Calabar Sports Club, the venue for the flag-off of PDP’s campaigns for Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo State constituency bye-elections. It was obvious the Governor of Cross Rivers State, through the instrumentality of the Police, was bent on frustrating the planned PDP rally. Unfortunately for Gov. Ben Ayade, Governor Wike threw this plan overboard, and Mr. Eba, the APC chairman who’s also an aide to the Cross Rivers State Governor, ran to the media to cry out his frustrations in the form of spewed trash.
Why would Gov. Ben Ayade, a sitting governor, for mere federal constituency elections, forestall the activities of the state citizens whose offense is simply rejecting the meal of the devilish APC? Does that in any way show democracy and government of inclusion? Does that suggest that the ensuing elections were planned to be free and fair?
May it also be noted, especially since the annals of history remain accessible and public, that this is not the first of a kind of visit Governor Nyesom Wike, and indeed any governor at all, would be visiting another state in solidarity with his political party, ahead of any elections in that state. The elite, civilly sound, appealingly democratic and politically sophisticated Nyesom Wike was at Edo State as Chairman of PDP National campaign council that re-elected Governor Obaseki. Edo State did not become a field of war. Again, just last year, the peaceful but resilient Governor Wike was at Lagos State to witness the defection of an APC Chieftain known as Dr. Olajide Adediran aka Jandor. Lagos did not leave its place and relocate into the Atlantic. He was yet again at Bayelsa recently to commission a project. He was welcomed with civility (as it should be). Heavens remained in its place, and peace prevailed in all these states that Governor Wike had visited. Then one visit to Cross Rivers State and toothless bulldogs began cackling, with tales of shame, fear, and timidity.
It begs the question, what is the precious plan the Governor of Cross Rivers State and his boy Mr. Eba had up their sleeves regarding the by-elections? Why are they uncomfortable with free citizens exercising their God-given fundamental rights? I believe the answers are glaringly undoubted at this juncture.
Lastly, may we state categorically that Mr. Eba, the now APC Chairman of Cross Rivers, a very unstable politician of no viable repute, who hitherto left PDP in 2010 to ANPP after being denied House of Assembly ticket, returned in 2012, and defected again to APC in 2021, and who is acting the script of his paymaster the Governor, cannot and does not have the capacity to stand Governor Nyesom Wike in all ramifications. The dear PDP members in Cross Rivers State are by this encouraged to fly the Red, white and green flag in high mast, fearlessly and in defiance of toothless barkings of political touts, as they hold no water, and would never hold any, in the grand scheme of things.
