The war ragging in the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers State has worsened with the suspension of Sen. Magnus Abe, Hon. Igo Aguma, Wogu Boms and Livingstone Wechie by the camp of the party loyal to the Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi.
The faction of the party loyal to Amaechi had on Saturday suspended Abe, Aguma, Wechie and Boms, and expelled some others for alleged anti-party activities.
This was happening while, the faction of the party under the leadership of the party suspended Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula, the caretaker committee chairman of the camp loyal to Amaechi.
However, in a statement in Port Harcourt Monday, the spokesman for APC, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, loyal to Amaechi, warned that the party would not tolerate acts of destabilization.
Nwuke said most Rivers people are pleased with the decision of the party to recommend the expulsion of recalcitrant members, adding that the State Secretariat acted on the request of aggrieved party members across the State.
He said: “We laud the leaders of our party right from the grassroots to the state level for seizing the opportunity to cut off the necks of hydra-headed snakes that have been spewing poison and hurting our members.
“We had hoped that initiating a peace process through the able collaboration of Senators Andrew Uchendu and Wilson Ake would clear the path for understanding and cooperation. It is evident that the gesture by our members on all sides to hunt for peace was largely misconstrued.”
Meanwhile, a Chieftain of APC with the camp of Aguma, Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, said the suspension was a charade, adding that it was an attempt to destroy the party.
Deeyah, former member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency at the Netional Assembly, noted that the Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula’s led caretaker committee does not exist, adding that the group does not have the right to carry out the action.
He said: “I just want to think that there are persons in the party who do not want the party to grow. Let us assume that Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula that calls himself whatever he is calling himself, I understand he is a lawyer and if he is, he took Igo to Appeal Court that the judgement that the high court gave which made Igo ought not to be.
“Some of the cases are in Supreme Court and they have not upturned the decision of the high court that said Igo should become chairman of the caretaker committee among other statutory members of the party.
“The Court of Appeal has not given the judgement and you are here again claiming Chairmanship. If he is the authentic Chairman he wouldn’t take this action. In no way he does not derive power anywhere to do what he is doing. He is only creating confusion in the party.
“There was no stay of execution. In 2019 this was the same road we passed. We could have sat down to review all of these.”
He stated that the decision of National Executive Council of the party dissolving structures in all the states does not apply to Rivers State, adding that the state does not have elected officials.
Deeyah said: “There are many things wrong with what they are doing. The national said all the existing structures, that is elected, will be dissolved and caretaker replaced that does not apply to Rivers State, because we do not have elected officials. So, where did Ogbobula come from?
“What you are seeing is somebody who is desperate, according to Lawyers he is seeking self-help. What they are doing is to destroy the party.
“There was no suspension. You cannot be building something on top of nothing. What they did does not exist. They do not have the right to do that.”
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