Thursday 29 August 2013

Rivers lawmakers, others to boycott party convention

Governor Chibuike Amaechi and 27 of their colleagues in the State House of Assembly decided to boycott the Peoples Democratic Party convention holding in Abuja on Saturday.

Similarly, 23 local government chairmen in the state and party chairmen in the areas said they would not attend the mini convention scheduled for the nation's capital.

Speaking with newsmen in Port Harcourt, the Chairman of the Rivers State Caucus in the National Assembly, Mr. Honorable Asita, explained that the decision to shun the PDP convention was to show solidarity to Amaechi, who was earlier suspended by the party.

Asita pointed out that 10 out of the 13 members of the House of Representatives from the state and two out of the three senators were in support of the boycott.

Condemning the recent expulsion of 18 members of the party by the Felix Obuah-led PDP executive in the state, Asita, who spoke on behalf of the federal lawmakers, described the action of the party in the state as illegal.

The lawmaker expressed dissatisfaction at the steady disintegration of the PDP in the state without the intervention of the national leadership of the party.

"We believe that the best thing to do in the circumstances in solidarity with our governor is to boycott the convention for Saturday. We believe that this is the best thing to do. I am speaking as chairman of the National Assembly Caucus of Rivers State and I have interacted with members of the National Assembly.

Also, a House of Assembly member, Mr. Innocent Bariko, who spoke on behalf of the 27 lawmakers, said he had the authority of his colleagues to announce the boycott.

Reacting, the Rivers State Chapter of the PDP described the decision by Amaechi's loyalists to boycott the national convention as a welcome development.

Punch

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