The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has issued a warning, stating that the party’s response to the verdict of the Rivers State High Court amounts to an invitation to chaos.
Chief Emeka Beke and his executive were restored as the legally elected Exco of the party, and the court dismissed the caretaker committee headed by Chief Tony Okocha.
Nevertheless, in defiance of the court decision, Okocha was ordered by the NWC to start organising state-to-ward conventions in October.
“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,” stated Darlington Nwauju, the party’s spokesman in Rivers State.
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.