WHO IS DIVIDING THE APC IN RIVERS STATE?





The All Progressives Congress APC today remains the party in power in Nigeria and arguably the biggest political Party in Africa.
1. Rivers state played a most critical role in the formation of the APC in 2014. Regrettably, today the party is not in any political position in Rivers state and this has been so from the 2015 to 2019 general election till date.  This is not farfetched yet not without the disposition of one man Mr. Rotimi Amaechi. The APC lost the general election in Rivers state in 2015 but for a few offices. In 2019, the party  totally lost everything in entirety not even a Ward Councillor because of ego trip and disobedience to Court judgement and so we lost the opportunity to even contest. It appears APC has still not learnt the bitter lessons? All because one man decided for everybody and imposed his uninformed strategy on the rest of the party without question. 

2. Today, bold questions have been asked by patriotic voices, albeit the one time APC 3rd Force now the lawful leadership of the Party led by the Acting Chairman, Rt. Hon. Igo Aguma.  The question is simple: constitutional politics and inclusive democracy.  What is wrong with asking that these should be the watchword of our party in the state. The Party has a Constitution which should be respected. What is wrong with that? Today the Court has not only pronounced Rt. Hon. I go Aguma as Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party; it went on in the open to counsel that members of the party should come together and resolve the ailing issues on a round table through dialogue. This was done after the Court dissolved the illegal illegal caretaker Committee of the Party in the state constituted through the hands of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi the Minister for Transportation. 

3. Several heavily publicized Executives Committee meetings of the party in Rivers state were called by the Acting Chairman Rt. Hon. Igo Aguma and far reaching decisions were made including the resolution for peace and reconciliation in the party by the well attended meetings which held virtually. Unfortunately, an insignificant fraction of the statutory members of the party deliberately refused to attend the meetings and made no apologies despite been well informed and all details for virtual access made available to them abundantly and evidently without denial. Their refusal was no doubt in line with instructions from the Transportation Minister who has been committed to polarising the Party for his own self gains in government. 

4. Surprisingly,  about five statutory members or so and some other supporters of the party "loyal" to Rotimi Amaechi held a press conference called by Senator Andrew Uchendu in his house in GRA Port Harcourt. Curiously,  they announced the purported suspension of Igo Aguma from the party and named Dr. Sokonte Davies a member of the party as their chairman. The persons carried out a contemptuous action with impunity seating on Appeal through a press conference over the judiciary to set aside the judgement of the Court which affirmed Igo Aguma as Acting Chairman of the party.  They dramatically christened their press conference a "28 man attended meeting" or better described as a "one room cell meeting" whereafter a certain attendance list leaked showing that not even a quarter of the number they brandished attended. In reality, after their script failed, they now forge signatures and go from house to house of statutory members to beg to sign an attendance list which has now irrevocably exposed their deceit. 

5. Today, Rotimi Amaechi now runs and sponsors two factional Caretaker Committee Chairmen of APC in Rivers state right in his both hands. On one count, he has a Dr. Sokonte Davies paraded as his caretaker Committee Chairman here in Port Harcourt and on the other hand, he has an Isaac Abot Ogbobula as Caretaker Committee Chairman whom he is also sponsoring from Port Harcourt Appeal Court Division now to a night-Bus-case-file-travel by road to the Appeal Court Abuja Division where he is now litiguosly fighting to be confirmed as Chairman of the APC which the Court in Port Harcourt has voided as illegal. As an obiter which someone posited, if Sokonte Davies is Chairman, why is he not the one in the Respondent Applicant status in the Court of Appeal? If Sokonte is Chairman, why is Igo the one still being contended with at the Court of Appeal seeking to be stayed. Sokonte Davies has a character assassin and towncrier without an office and he goes by the name Ogbonna Nwuke. This fellow has continued to hang in the barrels and balance of the entire crisis vituperating.  Who is Ogbonna Nwuke in APC Rivers state today? Does he have an office? Is he aware of another aware of another acclaimed APC Rivers state Chairman whom his principal Rotimi Amaechi is also parading and vigorously sponsoring? Do he know he stands to lose his current job in his faction if in their wildest dream Isaac Ogbobula is confirmed by their dead on arrival hatchet plans through the Court?

6. The question comes up again, WHO IS DIVIDING THE PARTY? President Muhammadu Buhari had directed weeks ago that all APC members should withdraw their cases from the Court to give room for peace and reconciliation within the Party, but Rotimi Amaechi and his supporters are daring the President and disregarding the Presidential directive including that of the National Caretaker Committee of  the party. Such insubordination is a new wonder in our politics and leadership.  This raises the puzzle why strangely but not surprising, the Transportation Minister has never called for peace and reconciliation in the party in Rivers State.  Not for once. There has never been a peace or reconciliation sentence in his speeches. His statements have never been conciliatory or at all reconcilliatory. He has only sang war songs and sponsored groups to threaten Rivers state and burn down Nigeria should things not go his way in the party. This is confirmed in a bizzare viral video about June 21, 2020 of young men from his village whom he admitted are his Supporters came out to boldly threaten to burn down Rivers state and all federal structures and Agencies and “NOTHING WILL HAPPEN “. We are concerned about their boldness. 

7. They ended by saying and I quote, “whoever will sympathize with anybody should start now, President Muhammadu Buhari should talk to the Chief of Army Staff  now, should talk to the Inspector-General of Police now, should talk to DSS now, should talk to the Chief Justice of the Federation now, to caution the Rivers State  Judiciary, now that it has not happened, because if it happens we will destroy everything in Rivers State, and we will be ready to face the consequences and nothing will happen. Thank you very much”.

8. A section of his supporters later staged a denial and petty disclaimer in another video while their principal was on another platform affirming that the violent group are his supporters yet they walk freely.  

The Minister of Transportation came on a live programme on Arise TV to admit "I know my publicist will be surprised about what I am about to say. Both the group that threatened and the ones that countered them are all my supporters ". This is an open admittance and requires no further interrogation. What is necessary now is that the relevant Authorities should immediately  arrest and prosecute these suspected criminals that seek to kill people and burn down the Nigerian state.

9. As long as Rotimi Amaechi is Minister and controls opportunities and benefits meant for Rivers state from the federal government,  he cares less whether the party is alive or dead in the state. This is why he destroyed the chances of the party in the 2019 general election in the state jeopardizing the political prospects of an army of aspiring party supporters and members. Can anyone doubt that Rotimi Amaechi is dividing the APC in Rivers state? Can he be absolved any responsibility or blame in all his deliberate actions or inactions, since he claims “I MADE EVERYBODY POLITICALLY IN RIVERS STATE? The much “godified” man may have been made by no one including God. God forbid. 

We are still on the path of peace and so restrained from saying so much and deeper things. 

AGAIN, WHO IS DIVIDING THE APC IN RIVERS STATE?

Sign:

Comrade C.M Samuel 
Facilitator, 
APC New Generation Group