ABUJA — Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Tony Anenih yesterday shed light on the appointment and swearing in of Mr. Godspower Ake from Rivers State as successor to slain national vice-chairman (South-South) of the party, late Chief A. K. Dikibo, saying that the position belonged to Rivers State up until next year.
There have been reports that Chief Anenih and the Rivers State Governor, Dr. Peter Odili arm-twisted the Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who enjoys the support of the other South-South Governors in his bid to have Bayelsa fill the position in the process, which resulted in the emergence of Ake on board of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Reports also said that the aggrieved South-South Governors were protesting what they called the imposition of Ake, who is considered as Governor Odili’s loyalist, having worked as one of his Special Advisers, a development that was interpreted as throwing on Odili’s laps the most strategic and influential party office in the zone in the build-up to the 2007 presidential elections.
Yesterday in Abuja, Chief Anenih said: “The National Secretariat of the party wrote Rivers State to nominate somebody for the un-expired period (Dikibo’s tenure would have expired in December 2005). The letter was written and signed by the National Secretary of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor.
“On receipt of the letter, the Executive Committee of Rivers State nominated Godspower Ake and sent the nomination to the National Secretariat. The National Secretariat in turn accepted Ake’s nomination and wrote the Chairman of Rivers State chapter of the party that Ake would be sworn in last Wednesday. That was what happened, because Bayelsa State retains the position of Deputy National Organising Secretary”.
Anenih stated that the positions of National Vice Chairman (South-South) and Deputy National Organising Secretary were ceded to Rivers and Bayelsa axis in 1999 and 2003, which both states shared between each other and are to hold onto up till December 2005 National Convention when the four-year tenure would expire.
According to him “What Rivers State did was to obey the instruction of the National Secretariat, which was proper. If there was any gang-up by a group of people, I take it as an unfortunate thing.
“What the party has done is the correct thing according to our constitution and the zoning arrangement, which all stakeholders in the South-South zone, including state chairmen, who did not agree with the nomination by Bayelsa Governor, as he already has the Deputy National Organising Secretary, and the two positions cannot be in one state.
“I am happy that the National Working Committee did the right thing. There would have been a disaster if the reverse were the case. But South-South leaders have a way of settling problems within the zone and I believe that the dust raised has settled.
“We are now working together to move the zone forward in the scheme of things without bitterness because all the governors are mature and understanding”.
