Rivers APC rejects planned congress, accuses Okocha of violating the rule of law
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has strongly rejected the planned party congress, accusing the sacked Caretaker Committee Chairman, Tony Okocha, of deliberately flouting the rule of law.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 15, 2024, the APC’s state Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, criticized Okocha and his supporters for engaging in actions they had previously condemned in others. Nwauju described their behavior as hypocritical, saying, “Tony Okocha is trampling on the rule of law and he knows it. The very same thing both he and his paymasters have been shouting against others is what they have been doing.”
Despite a ruling from the Rivers State High Court that reinstated the executive led by Emeka Beke as the legitimate leadership of the party, Okocha has continued to present himself as the Caretaker Committee Chairman. The court, in its judgment, issued a perpetual injunction against the Okocha-led caretaker committee, barring them from interfering with the Beke-led executive until the end of their four-year term.
The court ruling came after a suit filed by members of the APC, including Sam Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye, and Ezekiel Ubom, on behalf of the elected party leadership in Rivers State. However, Okocha’s faction has moved forward with preparations for state, local government, and ward congresses, set to begin on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
In response to this, Nwauju emphasized that Okocha had filed an appeal against the court ruling but suggested that his actions either showed a lack of confidence in the judiciary or an overconfidence in the outcome of the appeal. He stated, “We are aware they have filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, yet they do not have confidence or maybe should we say they are overconfident with whatever the outcome will be.”
Nwauju further reminded the party of the consequences of defying court orders, referencing the APC’s actions in 2018 when the party ignored a court order to conduct a congress. He warned that the same kind of disregard for legal rulings had led to disastrous outcomes in the past, including the inability to field candidates in the 2019 elections, a first in Nigeria’s democratic history.
“Good students of history choose to learn from the past rather than allow history to repeat itself,” Nwauju said. He added that participating in the congress organized by Okocha’s faction would be a direct disrespect to the judgment delivered by Justice Sika Aprioku.
The Rivers APC concluded its statement by emphasizing that democracy is based on the rule of law, and urged party members not to set new rules mid-game. The dispute within the APC in Rivers State continues to create tension, with both factions claiming legitimacy and gearing up for a battle over control of the party in the state.
