By Egufe Yafugborhi, PORT HARCOURT

Leaders in Senator Magnus Abe’s faction of Rivers State All Progressives Congress, APC, accused of fraternising with Rivers ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, with intent to destabilise the APC have dismissed the allegation as a deliberate ‘propaganda defective in logical reasoning’.

Two accusers, Kelvin Okechukwu of APC Ward 4 Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, and another from Ward 7 in Asari-Toru LGA, both claiming to be loyal to Abe faction had in a viral video alleged being invited to a meeting in the Port Harcourt residence of APC chieftain, Wogu Boms, in presence of Rivers PDP Chairman, Desmond Akawor, to sign an affidavit to join a suit asking the court to nullify recent ward to state congresses of the APC.

In a briefing, yesterday, in Port Harcourt, Dr. Bethel Oko-Jaja, an APC leader in Opobo Nkoro and one of the four persons accused by the duo, stated: “The purported stage-managed press conference by these faceless individuals and political desperados, is nothing but a reflection of the frustration of APC Rivers leadership under the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, that has clearly been bedeviled by the spirit of Ichabod.”

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PDP reacts

In their dismissal of the allegation, Rivers PDP state Publicity Secretary, Tambari Sydney Gbara, stated, “This false story of a meeting between the Abe’s group and the PDP Chairman in Rivers was wilfully and maliciously planned to embarrass the person of the PDP Chairman, Akawor.

“Otherwise, one would have wondered how those hungry looking, unkempt figures were able to bankroll a press conference involving four national television stations and other top national dailies in faraway Abuja if not sponsored by their paymaster.“They claimed to have met the state Chairman of PDP in the meeting addressed them on how to go about the case so that APC will not be on the ballot paper in the forthcoming General elections in 2023.”

Gbara boasted that Rivers PDP has oiled its machinery in readiness to give the APC a run for their money in 2023., recalling that the PDP had withstood the period APC stormed the state with all manner of federal might in previous elections.

“PDP is not afraid to face the APC, in the forthcoming general election in 2023, which will warrant it to initiate moves to destabilise them so that they will not be on the ballot.”

Vanguard News Nigeria