A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, on Monday, sacked the seven-man caretaker committee of the All Progressive Congress in the state led by Tony Okocha, which was inaugurated by the National Working Committee of the party. A report made by the punch reporter, Dennis Naku, stated that Justice Sika Aprioku gave the verdict while ruling on a suit filed by Sam Sam Etetegwung and Banarth Ezemoye and others, on behalf of the elected APC executives at the state and local government levels.
Justice Aprioku issued a perpetual injunction against the Okocha-led caretaker committee and reinstated the Chief Emeka Beke-led executive as the authentic executive of the party in the state.Beke is a loyalist of ex-governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The court also restrained the national leadership of the APC from further recognizing the Okocha-led executive and compelled them to henceforth begin to recognise the Beke-led elected executive.
The court slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission, for supporting the desolation of democratically elected executives of the APC, cautioning that leadership of political parties must learn to obey their own constitution and stop acting recklessly and in impunity in managing their own party.
Chinda said, “The court agreed with us and gave judgment in our favour. With respect to the local government, recall that the Tony Okocha so-called caretaker committee went as far as appointing persons to serve as local government caretaker committees. So that matter was also before the court. So the Court also agreed with us that they erred in law to have appointed persons against persons who were duly elected.”
“That is what the Court says. And we are saying no, But as of today what the Court has decided is the law. So we will apply for the judgment and advise our client accordingly.
But speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, Okocha described the judgment as ill-fated, saying the party would appeal.
“My party will appeal the ill-fated judgment. It is so unfortunate that in Rivers State the judiciary has turned itself to some kind of pun in the hands of a governor who is clueless.
“The judiciary has become Governor Fubara’s supermarket in Rivers State. He goes to any of the judges to buy any order, even when there is an order by a Court of Coordinate jurisdiction,” Okocha said.
Following the judgment of the Port Harcourt High Court , the erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New People’s Democratic Party (nPDP) and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze has hailed the judgment that affirmed the position of Chief Emeka Beke and his team as the lawfully recognized State Chairman and Executive Committee Members respectively of the APC in the state.
Eze commended the court for restraining the national leadership of the APC from further recognizing the Okocha-led executive and compelled them to henceforth begin to recognize the Beke-led elected executive.
Recalling that in November of 2023, the National Working Committee of the APC announced through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Moka, the dissolution of the State Executive Council of the Party in Rivers State and the constitution of a 7-man caretaker committee headed by Tony Okocha, who he described as a dissent element and notorious political jobber, Eze pleads with the National Working Committee of the party to respect the Court judgment and accord the Beke’s Exco all the necessary support to move the party forward as we will not tolerate anymore any undue interferences of Rivers State APC affairs particularly given offices to none members of APC like Tony Okocha and his misguided co-travelers who are not registered members of the party.
Eze expresses gladness for how the court slammed the unprincipled Independent National Electoral Commission, for supporting the desolation of democratically elected executives of the APC, cautioning that leadership of political parties must learn to obey their own constitution and stop acting recklessly and in impunity in managing their own party. I pray and hope that INEC will respect herself and learn from this judgement.
Eze pleads with the Beke led State Exco to formally formalize the membership of the erstwhile Lawmakers led by Hon Martins AMAEWHULE in obedience to President Tinubu’s directive that we should not discard anybody from joining APC.
Now that sanity is brought back to APC in Rivers State, Eze pleads with the APC Rivers State leadership to lobby Governor Sim Fubara to join the party instead of any other political party as we are ready to assist him in any way possible to move the State forward
Further reacting to the judgement, Eze said the development has sent shock waves down the spines of FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike and his collaborators at the APC National Working Committee as there trajectory of bribing judicial officers failed in the situation.
Describing the verdict as a victory for the entire Rivers State and a disgrace to all undemocratic forces within and outside Rivers State, Eze called on the Governor of Rivers State to leverage the court judgment to align with the party and its development objectives to realign the state on a better pedestal.
Meanwhile, while speaking to journalists after the court ruling of Monday, Emeka Beke, the reinstated Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, confirmed that the 27 lawmakers who defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC in December 2023 remain active members of the party.
Beke stated that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other legislators loyal to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, are valid APC members in Rivers State. He went further to announce that he intends to invite all of them to the stakeholders meeting of the party which will soon be scheduled, warning that they could face the disciplinary actions of the party should they fail to attend the meeting.
Beke also announced that the APC would participate in the upcoming local government elections in the state. He commended the judiciary for upholding democracy in Nigeria.
Recall that the Beke-led executive committee was dissolved by the APC national working committee in November 2023 over alleged anti-party activities during the general election, however, the latest court ruling reversed that decision, restoring him to his post as APC Chairman in Rivers State.
Share this story. Do not hesitate to contact us should you have a story to share.