- …As Court Decides September 24
- …You Can’t Stop Me, Abe Tells Amaechi.
Although the All Progressives Congress, APC, has beaten all previous political partiest that had controlled the federal government in recent times in mismanaging the country, the APC in Rivers State also appears to be leading other State chapters of the party to clinch the Guineas Book of Records award for running two separate State party secretariats by two factions of same party, all recognized by the National Exco of the party.
Apart from selling expression of interest and nomination forms to State House of Assembly aspirants for the party primaries, ahead of the 2019 general elections, interested aspirants for the National Assembly and governorship hopefuls belonging to the two factions were also obliged the opportunity to pick Nomination forms from the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
The two factional State secretariats are located at Garrison, along Aba Road, and Waterlines junction, also on Aba Road respectively, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
While the Garrison, APC State Secretariat is led by the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, that of Waterlines junction, is under the commandship of Senator Magnus Abe, Senator representing Rivers South East in the National Assembly and an APC governorship aspirant.
Each of the two State Party Secretariats claims to be the rightful and authentic State chapter of the APC.
The big question is, which of the two factions is recognized by the National Executive of the APC. Since it is unconstitutional for a party to have two separate state party secretariats, why is the APC’s case exceptional?
Again, if information at our disposal is anything to go by, why was the initial order to close down and not to allow Senator Abe open a factional APC State Secretariat in Port Harcourt not carried out by the law enforcement agencies. Who gave the initial and counter orders? These are the agitating questions yearning for explanations.
The earlier, explanations are given for this confusion, the more enlightened will be the mass of Nigerians especially the more confounded APC remnants in Rivers State.
The necessary clarifications will also help dispel the speculations and put the records straight as regards the allegation that the police high command in Rivers State which was allegedly earlier directed to seal Sen. Abe’s factional APC State Secretariat during the official opening, less than two hours to the time, got a counter order from Abuja not to proceed with the instruction.
Unofficial information also had it that upon receiving the order from Abuja, the State Commissioner of Police thought it wise and rightly too, to put a call across to the Inspector-General of Police for verification, and who in turn, asked the CP to wait to enable him confirm the instruction.
But when Police IG reportedly, contacted the National leadership of the APC, we also learnt, he was scolded to steer clear of party affairs which was consequently communicated to the Rivers State Police Commissioner.
Since then the two factional APC State Secretariats in Rivers had carried on as though their action is normal even when it is in gross violation of Nigeria’s electoral law and constitutes a breeding ground for imminent crisis in the State.
In another development, Senator Magnus Abe has told Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi that he is not bothered by the rejection of his aspiration.
Abe, while speaking to some of his loyalists reiterated that he is not losing sleep over Amaechi’s much publicized countering of his ambition.
He referred to the former Rivers State Governor as ‘devious’ in his talk but however, admitted Amaechi is still his leader in the State.
“I was a Commissioner in Dr Peter Odili’s government, but I stood behind Amaechi; I argued with Dr Peter Odili on Amaechi’s behalf,” he said.
“Later, when I came to him (Odili) to apologize, he told me that there was no need to apologize and that he respected my decision to stand by my friend (Amaechi).
“Whoever God has chosen to be the governor of Rivers state will be governor and there is nothing Rotimi Amaechi can do about it. When Amaechi fought for his right and took the PDP to court, I did not remember any place where Dr Odili called him a betrayer.
“I am fighting for my right; I want to be governor of this (Rivers) state and nobody can deny me the right to fight for my right. So, I continue to refer to Amaechi that he still remains the leader of my party in the state.”
Meanwhile, a high court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, will on Monday, September 24, 2018, deliver judgment on the case instituted by some aggrieved APC members challenging the legality of the party congress that brought Mr. Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, as the factional chairman of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as to whether or not it did not amount to a breach of the party’s constitution.
