By Mark Lenu
The leadership instability of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State has raised doubt over the party’s preparedness to wrestle power from the Peoples Democratic Party in the state. PDP got hold of the state Brick House again in 2015 after Mr Nyesom Wike succeeded his predecessor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi who was at the time, an APC governor of the state.
Wike who is now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory was able to use his two terms as governor to put PDP in control of both the state and all the LGs of the state. But in a bid to strengthen the chances of the APC in future elections, President Bola Tinubu backed the national leadership of the APC to replace the Emeka Beke-led exco with a caretaker committee led by Tony Okocha.
The manner in which Beke was removed was not legal in the eye of the court and a state high court sitting in Port Harcourt adjudicated on it, sacking Okocha as the state chairman of the party.
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Justice Sika Aprioku gave the verdict while ruling on a suit filed by Sam Sam Etetegwung 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 Emeka Beke-led executive as the authentic executive of the party in the state.
The court also restrained 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.
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 with impunity in managing their own party.
Speaking with our correspondent, a chieftain of the party who craved anonymity for fear of being suspended said: “With the direction I see my party heading to, we are not ready to win future elections in the state.
“The reason, the Emeka Beke-led executive was removed by the national leadership of my party was because Beke is a loyalist of the former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi who the president felt betrayed him during the 2023 presidential election.
“The leadership style of Tinubu has shown that his administration does not want to see Amaechi and his loyalists in the corridors of power.
“It therefore means that the Beke-led reinstated exco will not enjoy the support of the president because Beke is a loyalist of Amaechi. This is why I said my party is not solid enough to win future elections in the state.”
