The embattled Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, has called on the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, to reconsider the decision made by the National Working Committee regarding the dissolution of the party’s executive in the state.
Speaking in Port Harcourt on Thursday, Beke highlighted that the tenure of the party’s executive in the state was yet to reach its conclusion.
Previously, the APC’s NWC, under Ganduje’s leadership, had announced the dissolution of the Rivers State executives during a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
They appointed a caretaker committee to oversee the party’s affairs in the state for a period of six months.
Chief Tony Okocha, appointed as the chairman of the caretaker committee, is notably aligned with former Governor Nyesom Wike of the Peoples Democratic Party. Wike has now formed an alliance with the APC at the national level.
President Bola Tinubu allocated the ministerial slot for Rivers State to Wike of the PDP, sidelining APC members, including Tonye Cole, who served as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general elections.
Cole is an ally of former governor Rotimi Amaechi, a prominent political adversary of Wike within Rivers State politics.
The dissolution of the Rivers APC executives was announced during a Wednesday meeting in Abuja by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Mouka. He stated, “At the NWC meeting, we resolved to dissolve Rivers APC and establish a caretaker committee.
Chief Tony Okocha will chair the committee, with Eric Nwibani serving as Secretary.”
He stated, “What does the constitution of the party say? Only NEC has the moral right. I am surprised the NWC said it has that power. I don’t think there is any time the NEC gave them (NWC) the power to do that. It is so shocking and surprising.”
He cautioned Ganduje to be careful, depicting him as someone who resides in a fragile or vulnerable position.
“Ganduje knows how he became the National Chairman of this party. He is a man who is in a glass house; it is not good for you to throw stones. He has to reverse himself.”
Regarding allegations that the APC’s actions were intended to facilitate Wike’s control over the party structure in the state, Beke clarified that the present Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is not affiliated with the APC.
According to him, “Well I don’t know because he is not a member of our party. Wike is not a member of the APC in Rivers State. He is not a member of the APC national level.
“But if the national has decided to do that, then what comes out of that they should be able to bear it.”
In another statement, the state Publicity Secretary of the APC, Darlington Nwauju, emphasized that the NWC lacks the authority to dissolve an elected executive, denouncing the action as beyond constitutional bounds.
Addressing the issue in a statement forwarded to our correspondent, Nwauju remarked, “The alleged dissolution of the APC’s state executives in Rivers State exceeds constitutional powers and fails to align with effective crisis management and peace-building measures.
“The NWC cannot without approval by the NEC take such extreme measures as dissolve duly elected executives of the party or grant waivers for any individual to occupy positions who is not qualified under our constitution to do so.
“Leaving our party in the hands of political undertakers is too much of a risk for all progressive-minded individuals in Rivers State.”