A member of the Rivers Elders Forum, Ann-Kio Briggs, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of betraying the trust of the people of Rivers State and Nigerians.
She stated that the party’s inability to take decisive action has left the residents of the state to endure the repercussions of ongoing political crises.
Reflecting on the political developments in the state, she expressed her disappointment that despite the loyalty of the Rivers people to the PDP since 1999, the party has failed to respond appropriately when it was most needed.
“As a stakeholder and elder, I certainly feel let down by the PDP political party because, since 1999, we have consistently voted for the PDP, including myself. If they had intervened and performed their duties from the outset, not only in Rivers State but as a significant political party in the Niger Delta, the PDP would not be in its current predicament,” Briggs remarked.
She noted that the PDP has allowed internal conflicts and power struggles to diminish its influence, asserting that the party’s negligence has exacerbated the political climate in Rivers State, compelling the state to confront issues that could have been averted had the PDP acted with responsibility.
While Governor Siminalayi Fubara has publicly expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for facilitating peace in Rivers, the Rivers elder distanced herself from such expressions of gratitude, suggesting that politicians may have their own motivations for being thankful.
“Certainly not; even the President himself must recognize that not everyone in Rivers State will be eternally grateful to him or to the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and all politicians, in general.
“I do not share the same level of happiness or gratitude towards the APC party as the governor does; he is the politician, and I am not,” she stated, emphasizing that both the APC and PDP have contributed to the deepening of the political crisis.
She emphasized that the most significant lesson has not been directed towards the politicians, but rather towards the electorate.
“I believe the most substantial lesson has been absorbed by the citizens of Rivers State, the electorate, who must understand that our rights are far greater and more meaningful than the rights that the politicians presume to possess.
‘They would not occupy their positions without the support of the people of Rivers State,’ she stated.
