The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called on Chukwuemeka Aaron and his group to desist from illegally occupying the party’s state secretariat located along the Port Harcourt/Aba Road.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Acting State Chairman of the PDP, Nname Robinson Ewor, the party reminded Aaron of a court ruling that nullified the congresses held in the state and his sack as the party chairman.
The statement follows a press briefing on Thursday by Aaron and PDP members, who are loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
The briefing was held at the disputed party secretariat.
Ewor, in the statement, reiterated that Aaron remains an imposter.
The statement read, “The attention of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rivers State Chapter has been drawn to a Press briefing hosted by one Aaron Chukwuemeka, an impostor claiming to be Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State.
“Ordinarily, we would have ignored his ignorance vis a vis his claim, but for the purpose of proper public information.
“We wish to remind Chukwuemeka Aaron and his co-travellers of a subsisting High Court judgment nullifying the purported State, LGAs and ward congresses conducted by his group in Rivers State using the name of the PDP.
“Even when the congresses were conducted in fragrant disobedience to a court order stopping them, we as law-abiding citizens never interfered in their illegalities until a Court of competent jurisdiction declared the purported congresses as a nullity.
“Accordingly, we wish to warn the Chukwuemeka Aaron-led group to respect the ruling of the Honorable Justice of the Rivers State High Court, Port Harcourt and desist from taking the laws into their hands through the continuous occupation of the PDP Secretariat as well as claiming legitimacy to the party’s executive committee and other illegal actions.”
Ewor also appealed to law enforcement agencies, particularly the Rivers State Police Command, to remain neutral in the ongoing PDP leadership dispute and avoid supporting any faction.
The statement warned that any support for Aaron and his group by law enforcement would be a violation of the law and could amount to aiding and abetting lawbreakers.
Ewor further called on the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Ogbetokun, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, and the Director of the Department of State Security, DSS, to ensure their officers adhere to the law and do not assist those undermining legal processes.
The PDP also urged party members and supporters to remain calm and not be provoked by the actions of “desperate politicians” seeking to cause unrest in the state.
“We have noted with concern and disappointment that even when the Court’s ruling is of public knowledge, the State Police hierarchy still provided cover to such illegitimate so-called PDP executive to perpetrate their illegal act.
“May we therefore use this opportunity to appeal to law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police in the State not to take sides in the political imbroglio, but remain apolitical.
“Taking side with a group whose action and inaction contravenes the provision of the law is to confirm that the law enforcement officers are actually the very ones aiding and abetting law breakers in the State.
“As law-abiding citizens, we would like to appeal to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Ogbetokun, the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Security, and other relevant security agencies to prevail on their officers and men in Rivers State to operate within the ambit of the law and not to be a party to those orchestrating breach of the law.
“We also appeal to our esteemed members and supporters to remain calm and refuse to be provoked by the antics of desperate political merchants who are trying hard to unleash mayhem on innocent law-abiding citizens of Rivers State.”