Former Rivers State House of Representatives member Farah Dagogo has claimed that the unresolved rift between former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi is still targeting the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to a Naija News report, Mr. Dagogo disclosed this in an interview with DAILY POST, saying that if the forces around Jonathan had allowed him to reconcile with Mr. Amaechi over loggerhead turtles before the 2015 elections, , said the party would not have been in the current crisis.
A former governorship aspirant in Rivers State said a few persons selfishly caused the PDP crisis to further their undue ambitions to the detriment of the party.
Dagogo expressed optimism that the PDP will bounce back, especially at a time when Nigerians are desperate for a viable opposition party heading into 2027.
He said, “Nigerians have high expectations from the PDP. But unfortunately, my party has not been able to live up to the bill due to internal struggles. It is also being selfishly provoked by a few individuals to reinforce excessive ambitions to the detriment of the majority of Nigerians who look to the party as a viable option.
“I have said this before and I will continue to repeat it: PDP dragged itself into this mess before the 2015 elections, when some persons tactically attacked the then President Goodluck Jonathan in the then Rivers State He made Governor Chibuike Amaechi irrelevant from the PDP and pressured him to oust him.
“This unfortunate action led to Mr. Amaechi and other governors being expelled from the PDP in order to strengthen the then opposition party, the APC.What did we (PDP) get in return? Thanks to the withdrawal of Amaechi to the APC, we retained or recaptured Rivers State from the APC. We won the battle for Rivers State but lost the most important war for the presidency.
“So, it is no exaggeration to say that we sacrificed the Rivers State election for the sake of the presidential election.If selfish pursuits had been abandoned then and the differences between Jonathan and Amaechi had been reconciled; Other governors, including Amaechi and other powerful members of the party, would not have left PDP for APC.
“As then, Amaechi was not contesting any electoral position. He was just completing his second term. Meanwhile, President Jonathan was campaigning for his second term. Jonathan If the forces around him had allowed him to reconcile with Amaechi, this would not have happened.
“But the selfish interests of some individuals who destroyed the rivers state redistricting boomeranged and brought us war and we lost the federal government. I agree that everything is bleak right now, but it’s not too late to do the right thing.”
