Pro-Obi group in Rivers accuses LP federal lawmaker of anti-party activities

A group under the aegis of Obi for Nigeria in Rivers State has accused Manuchim Umezurike, the member representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency 1 at the House of Representatives under the Labour Party, of engaging in anti-party activities.

In a statement made available to the DAILY POST by its state leader, Tony Chinda, the group called on the Labour Party leadership, its 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara to closely monitor Umezurike.

It alleged that signals suggest Umezurike is a “sleeper mole” within the Rivers State Government’s camp.

Despite being a Labour Party member, Umezurike has aligned himself with Governor Fubara amid the ongoing political impasse in Rivers State.

But Chinda, in the statement said the Federal lawmaker is working for the camp of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The group, which claims that the party’s mandate was stolen in broad daylight during the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State, noted that they secured the Federal House of Assembly seat for Port Harcourt Constituency 1, which was won by Umezurike.

However, they accused Umezurike of failing to make any significant impact on his constituents, citing the lack of constituency projects and his alleged absence from plenary sessions for the past five months.

“Ever since Umerzurike Manuchim made it to such an elevated position, we are yet to see his value at the Federal House of Assembly. He has passed no bills nor has he contributed to the plenaries.

“We have copies of minutes from the floor of the National Assembly to show that since Umezurike Manuchim assumed that office, he has not been actively representing the people who gave him the mandate.

“Rather, he has been hobnobbing with members of the Peoples Democratic Party in anti-party activities, so much so that he lives in the Government House of the Rivers State Government.”

Chinda also highlighted Umezurike’s disregard for the party in the state, stating that he, “has neither been at his party office in Rivers State nor has he had any meeting with the leadership of his party at the state level even up to this moment.”

He also raised concerns about Umezurike’s associations with the former party leadership, specifically Dienye Pepple and the former South-South Chairman, Ruben Favour.

Both Pepple and Favour were suspended and their leadership dissolved by the party’s national leadership before the 2023 election due to anti-party activities.

Chinda said, “Aside from the fact that the National dissolved the leadership of Dienye Pepple for anti-Party activities which Mr Umezurike was also a key partner to and suspending Deinye Pepple alongside others for anti-party activities, as court Judgment we obtained in suit no: PHC/753/CS/2023, in the court of Justice I Andango, set the argument of Deinye Pepple and co, aside for lack of Merit.

“But in the face of all of these, Umezurike Manuchi has continued to undermine the state leadership of Hilda Dokubo, even to the point of planning to create a parallel leadership at the LGA levels and Ward levels to compromise the structure in Favour of his paymaster Nyesom Wike.

“This we receive as credible intelligent reports. If the Labour Party will sit with folded arms and watch this slide, we will not. We the people voted for him.”

He added, “Knowing him as a chameleon, we advise the Rivers State Government to distance themselves from the person of Mr Umezurike Manuchim as we suspect him as a mole and a spoiler for Nyesome Wike.

“This explains why he left his job in Abuja, seeking to curry favour and win the heart of the Governor.

“While one may say, Politics is a game, we want the Governor to reflect and ask why this lawmaker is always in the Rivers State Government House while his colleagues are in Abuja working.

The group further disclosed that it has initiated the process to recall the federal lawmaker.

They urged all constituents from Port Harcourt Constituency 1 to come forward and sign the recall document, which will be made public soon.

When DAILY POST contacted Umezurike for a reaction to the allegations, he said, “The writer of that statement does not know me. That person does not exist. There is nobody like Tony Chinda in that group.

“If the person wants to know me, the person should come to Port Harcourt and see the transparency in me and what I do for my constituency.”