By Kolawole Ojebisi
Spokesman of the Emeka Beke-led faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Darlington Nwauju, has urged the national Leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC), to shun allies of the minister of the Federal CapitalTerritory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Nwauju, who alleged that some persons in the National Working Committee of the APC were encouraging an ally of Wike, Tony Okocha, and his allies to disregard court injunctions pertaining to leadership crisis rocking the party in Rivers, said such a development was not good for the APC.
He warned that such divisiveness contributed to the huge election losses suffered by the party in Rivers State in 2015, 2019 and 2023
Nwauju added those NWC members are frustrating efforts to achieve lasting peace in the leadership of the party in Rivers state.
Speaking with Journalists Tuesday, Nwauju, urged Tony Okocha to stop desecrating the judiciary and de-marketing the party.
Nwauju expressed sadness over an alleged conspiracy to delete the memories of the supporters of Emeka Beke’s leadership of APC “who unfortunately lost their bid to rewrite the history of the party here in Rivers and ensure that justice is not served on sponsors and perpetrators of those barbaric crimes that took place in 2015, 2019 and 2023”.
The factional spokesman stressed that the party had suffered avoidable media bashing in recent weeks and months “due to the dictatorial leadership style of Alhaji Ganduje who seems to be in such a hurry to rewrite our painful history”.
He said “It would not be out of place for any journalist in this room today to confidently construct beautiful headlines that will pull by the nose given the notorious fact that, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, who promised internal democracy for the party on August 3, 2023 after his ratification by NEC, has managed the Rivers State chapter exactly like a workman quarrelling with his tools.
“We are worried that Alhaji Ganduje is doing everything possible to bully the very principles of progressivism upon which our party was founded and to even imagine the peculiarity of the Rivers state chapter of the party where tons of human beings had their lives cut short for their membership of the APC“.
Nwauju stressed that since the High Court judgement is on appeal and the Court of Appeal fixed 4th and 12th February 2025 to hear the matter, “what is the rush in countering the order of Court?”
He said that if the APC leadership had any respect for the rule of law, it would have waited for the determination of the cases in court before going on with the congresses again and injunction of the court.
Speaking about the alleged plan to suspend their supporters, he said “expelling Chief Emeka Beke and the rest of us who are rightful officers of the party in the state and accusing us of collaborating with the Governor of Rivers State to embarrass the APC? If we may ask which of the APCs?
“The one they sabotaged in 2015, 2019 and 2023? Is it the same APC that they abandoned to join the SDP and jumped ship to openly campaign for the PDP and Governor Fubara?” Nwauju questioned.
Recall that a Port Harcourt High Court last week nullified the party’s recent LG and State congresses organised by the Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee, saying they were in utter disrespect of court order and Court judgment.
The High Court, presided over by Justice Godswill Obomanu, nullified the LGA and State congresses and awarded a cost of N10 million against the defendants (APC & Alhaji Ganduje), the National Chairman of the party.
