The All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has warned that the response of the party’s National Working Committee to the Rivers State High Court’s ruling is an invitation to anarchy.
The court had sacked the caretaker committee led by Chief Tony Okocha and reinstated Chief Emeka Beke and his executive as the duly elected Exco of the party.
However, the NWC directed Okocha to commence congresses from ward to state levels in October, despite the court ruling.
The spokesman of the party in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, said: “The danger signal is incalculable and has the potency to scare away investors as no business or investment can thrive in an atmosphere bereft of the rule of law.”
Nwauju emphasized that no individual or group can act or represent the APC Rivers State chapter without the express approval of the validly elected executives under Emeka Beke, as doing so would lead to an affront on the court.
He also dismissed claims by Festus Fuanter, Assistant National Secretary of the APC, that the validly elected executives of the APC in Rivers State were dissolved by a court of law, calling it “embarrassingly untrue and most unfortunate”.
Nwauju concluded by saying: “We must say without equivocation that the activities of the current NWC are constituting a great cog in the wheel of progress for our great party and communicate a rather taciturn posture to party cohesion while debasing pluralism of thoughts and encouraging dissent.”
The statement also referenced two court cases, Suit No. PHC/CS/3592/2023 and Suit No. PHC/CS/925/2023, and criticized Tony Okocha for referring to the ruling delivered by Justice S.H. Aprioku as “procured” while praising the rulings delivered by Justice D.S. Kio and P.O. Lifu.
