The fight between the stakeholders in Rivers State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) took another twist on Saturday, the 10th of February.
National officials of the party were in Portharcourt on Saturday to felicitate with Senator Magnus Abe during his Victory Thanksgiving ceremony.
The dignitaries that graced the occasion include: The National Chairman of the APC, John Oyegun; the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; Rivers State Governor, Ezebunwo Nyesom Wike ;Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambulwa; the Niger State Governor; Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha; Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobri; the Senate’s Chief Whip; the Senate’s Majority Leader; Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and many other dignitaries.
However, the Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi’s faction of the party was in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, a Senator Abe’s stronghold, in another leg of their Free Rivers Initiative.
Although, the Minister was at the airport to receive some of the dignitaries that graced the Abe’s Thanksgiving, he drove straight to Bori afterwards.
Not long had the occasion ended than accusations and counter accusations began flying in the air with both factions accusing each other of anti-party activities.
The Senator representing Rivers East Senatorial district in the National Assembly, Magnus Abe, came out and refuted the widely circulated accusations that he deliberately fixed his #VictoryThanksgiving on a day already fixed for the Free Rivers rally at Bori in Khana Local Government.
The Senator said in a statement that there was no element of truth in the accusation saying that he had already invited the Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside for the Thanksgiving but Dr. Peterside never told him anything about Free Rivers rally at Bori.
Senator Abe who played host to several big weights in the party on Saturday, said that Dr. Peterside only told him about a NIMASA engagement in Lagos on the said date but said that he (Peterside) would do all he can to honour the (Abe’s) invitation.
The Senator said that the Free Rivers event at Bori was hastily fixed for the 10th of February merely to showcase the power of one man and to show to the world that Ogoni people are not with Senator Abe.
He, however, said that whether the ploy succeeded or not is another story but maintained that those in the Free Rivers Initiative should free themselves first before setting the state free.
The division in the party was one of the highlights of the Saturday’s event with the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, saying that there should have never been two APC events in the state on the same day.
Saraki, obviously miffed by the actions of the parties involved in the squabble, said that he was happy with the presence of the Rivers State Chairman of the party, Dr. Davis Ikeanya, at the Thanksgiving ceremony.
He told the state Chairman that he has big work at hand and charged him to reunite the warring parties.
But the State Chairman had denied that there was division in the party during his remark at the Thanksgiving ceremony.
He maintained that the party is united and offers every member the chance to aspire to any post of their choice saying that when the primaries will be conducted, it is going to be free and fair.
However, in his remark, the member representing Emuoha/Ikwerre Federal Constituency in House of Representatives, Hon. Chidi Wihioka said that those who were not at the Thanksgiving ceremony were engaging in anti-party activities weighty enough to warrant their suspension.
He said: “We are celebrating a journey of two and half years. The state party chairman of APC is here, so APC is here. Any other gathering outside this one is anti party and they should be suspended!
” I am speaking on behalf of Ikwerre people, Ogoni has supported and Ikwerre will support Ogoni now. The governor of Rivers State is here, that is to tell you that we are talking about Rivers state, not an individual. We are looking for peace, let that person who is looking for war go to Sudan, Libya, not here!.
Senator Abe stated that if Dr. Peterside was involved in organizing the Bori event, then it was done in bad faith because, according to him, the DG had prior knowledge of the Victory Thanksgiving ceremony.
