"Peterside not imitating your candidate" - Rivers​ ​APC to PDP

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, has berated the Peoples Democratic Party in the state for claiming that its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, copied the election agenda of his PDP counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

The PDP, in a statement on Monday by Jerry Needam, an aide to its chairman, Felix Obuah, said Mr. Peterside had no election programme but was merely copying Mr. Wike’s.

Responding via a statement by its chairman, Davies Ikanya​,​ on Tuesday, the APC said the allegation was “vexatious, ridiculous and without foundation,” because it was coming several weeks after it alerted the public about attempts by the PDP candidate to copy Mr. Peterside’s Roadmap to Prosperity agenda.

It listed the four-point agenda as public sector accountability and security of lives and properties; employment generation and wealth creation; social and human capital development and empowerment; and institutional and physical infrastructure development and food security.

Stating that it took exception to the allegation, the APC said the opposition party in the state was demonizing Mr. Peterside who presented his agenda before Mr. Wike became a governorship candidate.

The APC said, “For Jerry Needam and his master, Felix Obuah (Rivers PDP chairman) to therefore turn around after over two months to accuse Dr. Peterside of copying or attempting to copy Wike’s non-existent development agenda clearly betrays the educational backwardness of Mr. Jerry Needam, who may not understand what the word copycat means after spending ten years without graduation from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, and Mr. Felix Obuah, who was not privileged to see the four walls of any sound educational institution.

“To describe Dakuku Peterside, a Doctorate Degree holder and Chairman of Petroleum Committee (Upstream) of the House of Representatives as a copycat who lacks originality suggest​s​ that Jerry Needam, a pathological liar and a mental case​,​ who has visited a psychiatric hospital at Enugu on several occasions, is yet to be fully cured of his mental challenges.”

On the allegation that Mr. Peterside imitated Mr. Wike by going to churches, the APC said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, in a globally broadcast thanksgiving service handled by about 2,000 men of God, handed over his mandate to God in December 2014 before Mr. Wike started his church campaigns.

It also said the PDP forgot that the APC candidate, being a born-again Christian did not need to advertise his church programmes unlike his PDP counterpart “who because of his anti-Christ disposition advertises his church events to deceive Christians that he has become a Christian, forgetting that Rivers people are too enlightened to be easily deceived”​.​

The APC described Mr. Peterside as a man who earned a reputation as a charismatic and disciplined leader; creative and hardworking, and a broad-minded fellow with strategic insights.

“Peterside is widely respected as one of the most result-oriented, meticulous, consistent, trustworthy and God-fearing political leaders,” it said.

“In all public offices he has held he has brought innovation to bear and made remarkable impact that has endeared him to his fellow compatriots.

“He is a role model and mentor to several young persons, who look up to him for inspiration. He has at various times turned down at least fourteen chieftaincy titles, several honourary doctorate degrees and awards rather believing in the people as a reason for service.

“We are proud to recommend him to the great people of Rivers State as their next governor after the departure of the goal-oriented Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi in 2015.”