- Court Lacks Power To Declare Beke As Chairman,” Says Okocha, Wike’s Ally
- Beke, Amaechi’s Loyalist: I’m the Authentic Rivers APC Chairman
By Abiola Olawale
The political crisis rocking the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress(APC) has taken a new dimension as two warring factions-Rotimi Amaechi and Nyesom Wike- are locked in a battle for control of the soul of the party.
This is as the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by caretaker chairman, Tony Okocha has openly kicked against a recent court pronouncements which declared Emeka Beke as the Chairman of the party in the state.
The Okocha-led committee argued that the Rivers State High Court lacked the power to issue such an order.
It would be recalled that Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had nullified the sacking of the Emeka Beke-led executive of the APC in Rivers State.
The court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku, on Monday ruled that the National Working Committee of the party erred in dissolving the elected executives led by Emeka Beke.
The judge stated that the APC National Working Committee does not have the power to dissolve an elected executive of a state, nor can it set up a caretaker committee when the tenure of the elected executive is still running.
Reacting to the judgment, the Spokesman of Rivers APC Caretaker Committee, Chibuike Ikenga, said that there is a standing judgment from the Supreme Court which dissolved the Beke-led executives.
Ikenga, who spoke with the press, warned that the judgment can’t override an earlier one granted by the Supreme Court.
He said: “It (sack) is an effort in futility. The reason is that the Supreme Court has made pronouncements and taken decisions as to issues that pertain to the internal affairs of a political party, which are justifiable before any court.
“Therefore, what we have seen was also a choreographed judgment, in the sense that the judge and a couple of his colleagues are dancing to the tune of the Rivers State government. The judgment itself is a clear indication of those coalitions you have seen from haters of President Bola Tinubu and the move to take him out of power after losing the election serially in Rivers State.
“We have spoken to our lawyers and they will appeal accordingly. By the way, our party has given us the power to continue to act because it is strictly the internal affairs of the party. We are not under any form of pressure. As you can see, we are still going about our busy because we know the position of the law.
“The court cannot force people removed for anti-party activities to lead us in the state. These people left the campaign for President Bola Tinubu and supported Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. It was based on that they were dissolved.”
However, Mr Beke has been consistent in insisting that he is the rightful chairman of the party in the State, averring that Okocha is a pawn being used by Wike to distabilize the APC in Rivers State.
