The chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has declared that the party has lost Rivers State.
Speaking against the background of the local government election held in the state, Wabara declared that the PDP shot itself in the leg.
Naija News recalls the Action Peoples Party (APP) won 22 out of 23 chairmanship seats, while Action Alliance won one local government (Etche Local Government Area) as declared by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) Chairman, Justice Adolphus Enebeli (retd).
Reacting to the development in an interview with Vanguard, Wabara lamented that this was the first time in recent history that a ruling party in Rivers State, which has been controlled by the PDP since 1999, lost its grassroots influence to a lesser-known party.
“This is unprecedented in the history of recent local government elections, where the ruling party and the party of the governor lost its grassroots structure. The PDP has shot itself in the leg. If we look deeper, it means that technically and literally, the PDP has lost Rivers State,” Wabara stated.
He said the signs were there for the PDP, but the party leaders ignored them. He also added that the PDP’s chances of reclaiming the state in the 2027 elections is very slim.
“We saw this coming and warned the key players, but instead of heeding our advice, we were ridiculed. Now, the consequences are clear for everyone to see,” Wabara said.
The PDP BoT chairman, however, said despite the outcome of the local government elections in Rivers State, the party can still take lessons and reposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
“I believe we have learned the hard way, but it’s not too late. We must come together as a family, resolve our differences, and work towards emerging stronger in 2027,” Wabara concluded.