Tele Ikuru ,Amaechi’s deputy absent at Rivers exco meeting

The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Mr. Tele Ikuru, was conspicuously absent at Wednesday’s State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

Ikuru’s absence may not be unconnected with his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party on Sunday.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, who confirmed the deputy governor’s absence at the executive council meeting, disclosed that Ikuru had yet to submit his formal resignation letter from APC to the council.

Semenitari explained that Ikuru, who is the Vice Chairman of the State Executive Council, maintained that the deputy governor’s defection to the PDP would not affect electoral fortunes of the APC in the state.

“Today, we held our weekly State Executive Council meeting. The only person that is absent at the meeting was the Vice Chairman of the council and Deputy Governor of the state, His Excellency, Engr. Tele Ikuru.

“The meeting was chaired by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. We want to notify the media that as of today, no formal resignation letter of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor, has reached the Chairman of Exco.

“Chairman of exco briefed exco members that he had read in the media of reports of the defection of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor. Exco also received information from members of Exco from Andoni, His Excellency, the Deputy Governor’s local government area, that indeed he (deputy governor) has been received by the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Therefore, that means that he has defected to the Peoples Democratic Party. His Excellency, the Governor, has told Exco that this does not in any way affect the position of His Excellency, the Deputy Governor as the Deputy Governor of the state,” she said.

Semenitari pledged the loyalty of 31 members of the State Executive Council, including the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. George Feyii, advisers and commissioners to the State Governor and Chairman of the council, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi and the APC.

Explaining that Ikuru’s defection to the PDP would not affect his position as the deputy governor of the state, the commissioner stressed that none of the governor’s aides had left the APC for any other party and had no intention to abandon the party.

“Exco resolved that members of the Exco will remain committed to His Excellency, the Governor, and the good people of Rivers State. All members of Exco who belong to the All Progressives Congress remain members of the All Progressives Congress.

“None of us has resigned his position with the APC and none of us intends to resign our position with the APC,” the commissioner assured.