PDP can’t win Rivers without expelled members – Amaechi’s aide

AUGUST 28, 2013 

Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi

ONE of the expelled members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Rivers State and the Commissioner for Works, Mr. Victor Giadom, has said that the PDP cannot win the state without the support of those expelled from the party.

Giadom explained that the decision to expel some members of the state Executive Council and four other members was unconstitutional and against the interest of the ruling party.

Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Giadom, who is the former chairman of Gokana Local Government Area of the state, warned that it would be difficult for any political party to win in the local government area without his support.

Describing those affected by the expulsion as valuable political assets, the commissioner said they were a group of people that would help the PDP to win the state in the 2015 election.

Giadom stated that he would not lose sleep over his expulsion since the action of the state PDP was unconstitutional.

He argued that only the national executive council of the PDP had the right to expel him from the party, adding that the state PDP contravened the party’s constitution by asking them to leave.

“I heard about my expulsion from the PDP on Monday around 12 o’clock in the afternoon when some of my friends called my line and informed that my humble self had been expelled from the PDP.

“The question I would like to ask is that, in whose interest is the so-called expulsion of valuable assets of the party? Is it in the interest of the PDP or in the interest of people who are the leadership of PDP, who do not understand the importance of party politics?

“I am still a full-fledged member of the party because I know that the expulsion is unconstitutional; it will not stand. The party’s constitution is clear on it on a public officer. It is only the national working committee of the party that can decide my fate.

“The party in this state needs all of us. The party needs to even woo those who ate outside into the party. That is the responsibility of any responsive party leadership; not to throw stones and destroy the party,” he said.

The commissioner, however, disclosed that the state PDP Performance Evaluation Committee did not invite him for any appraisal, adding that he read about the exercise in a newspaper advertorial.

Meanwhile, a former member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Lasbry Amadi, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan not to allow himself to be deceived by people that did not mean well for the PDP.

Amadi, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt, urged the President to bring aggrieved members together in order to allow the party to move forward.

“I want to call on Mr. President, you are the leader of this party, and you are the president of this country. Please, don’t allow people to deceive you. Don’t allow anybody at all to deceive you because what we are seeing now I don’t see any of them that have good intention.

“Remove them now from having access to Aso Rock and see what is going to happen tomorrow. Please, I am begging that he should call this people together so that the PDP can move forward. 2015 is very close and the success of 2015 is today. This is the time we have to put our house in order,” Amadi said.

He appealed to the PDP in the state to work towards resolving the crisis affecting it by embracing peace, explaining that the performance evaluation committee was alien to the PDP.

Reacting, the State PDP dismissed Giadom’s claim that the party would not be able to win any election in Rivers without the expelled members.

Speaking in a telephone interview with THE PUNCH, the Special Adviser to the state PDP chairman, Mr. Jerry Needam, said the expulsion of some of the members of the PDP would not affect the fortunes of the party.

Needam said, “Those we expelled from the PDP cannot affect the fortunes of the party. If they had not been expelled, the PDP in the state would lose in future elections.

“The expulsion will bring victory to the PDP in the state because those expelled mean nothing to the party and that is why we are celebrating their exit. They were like a burden to the party and we want them to stay away.”