A chieftain of the Labour Party, LP, in Rivers State, Prince Favor Reuben, has alleged that the Action Peoples Party, APP, is engaging in irregularities by selecting its candidates for the upcoming October 5 local government elections without following due process.
Reuben, who described the APP as a “social club”, accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his Chief of Staff, Eddison Ehie, and members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of orchestrating the APP’s candidate selection process inside the Government House in Port Harcourt.
He claimed their involvement is tantamount to anti-party activities, thereby undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
According to Reuben, these actions contradict the criticisms levelled by Fubara and his allies against the 27 PDP lawmakers who defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
He argued that those involved in the APP’s affairs have forfeited their moral authority to question others over alleged anti-party conduct.
“Today we discovered that APP which is not a political party in Rivers State – it’s just an association they brought on board – is selecting people in Government House to impose on Rivers people.
“The governor is involved, the chief of staff is involved, all of the in PDP are involved.
“The governor has told the world that he’s a member of PDP, and we wonder why the governor himself will be selecting APP in Government House to run a local government election.
“And that is an anti-party activity. None of them have moral justification to question the operation of the 27 lawmakers because all of them are now in the same category,” he said.
The Labour Party chieftain further alleged that the APP failed to conduct primaries in compliance with the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) guidelines, calling for the disqualification of the party’s candidates on legal grounds.
He emphasized that the official window for conducting primaries has already closed on September 5, 2024.
“APP did not go through primaries, did not go through screening in RSIEC and we are asking RSIEC that the souls be disqualified.”
Reuben also asserted that the candidates selected by the governor at Government House remain members of the PDP, having yet to formally resign from the party.
He urged RSIEC to take a principled stand and disqualify the APP’s candidates, calling on RSIEC Chairman, Retired Justice Adolphus Enebeli, to ensure fairness and uphold the law.
Reuben cautioned Fubara against sponsoring the APP, warning that such actions would mirror the same accusations the governor has made against the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Additionally, Reuben accused the APP of intimidating other political parties, claiming that the governor had already endorsed all APP candidates for local government chairmanship and councilor positions.
He called on RSIEC to ensure a free, fair, and credible election, stressing that only the Labour Party is truly prepared for the upcoming polls.
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