Caretaker Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has called for intervention in the ongoing crisis rocking the party in the state.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, Okocha expressed disappointment over the court’s decision, describing it as a “hatchet job” orchestrated by the state government.
“I told you earlier that the judgement was foretold. So, when he came with the judgement on Monday, it didn’t sound strange to me. Nobody got perturbed,” Okocha added.
Okocha alleged abuse of court process in the reinstatement of Emeka Beke as chairman of the party by a Rivers State High Court.
“We wrote a petition against the judge on the 20th of March, 2024, alleging bias. We pleaded bias. And other issues. And commendably, when a judge is accused of bias on a particular matter, all he will do is to rescue himself. He hands off,” Okocha said.
Okocha also accused former Minister Rotimi Ameachi of imposing Emeka Beke on the party, citing his low academic qualifications and inability to preside over meetings.
“Emeka Beke was a product of highhandedness, ineptitude, and imposition, all put together, of a leader then, Rotimi Ameachi,” he said.
He alleged that Beke and Ameachi worked against the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and aligned with the opposition party, PDP. “Ameachi and his groups aligned with Atiku. Is it news?
While the Wike groups in PDP aligned with us, God helped us that they were also defeated,” Okocha claimed.
Okocha also questioned the judge’s jurisdiction in the matter, he said, “How do you bring somebody who is not a party in its suit? And make an order that will affect the person? You know very well that this is an abnormality.”
He further alleged that the state government was behind the court’s decision,
He said, “They deliberately refused to include the APC. The reason is that they know if they include APC in the suit, the matter can no longer go on at the high court. It would have gone to the Federal High Court.”
Okocha vowed to continue fighting for justice and fairness within the party, urging stakeholders to intervene in the crisis. “APC will never go back to the social club status that it refused to be. We will never do that,” Okocha emphasized.
The crisis in Rivers APC has been ongoing, with factions emerging and court cases pending. Okocha’s call for intervention highlights the need for a resolution to the crisis to ensure the party’s unity and progress.
