Amaechi vs Aguma: APC Camps clash over Suspension: The war raging in the All Progressives Congress, APC in Rivers State has worsened with the suspension of Senator Magnus Abe, Hon. Igo Aguma, Wogu Boms and Livingstone Wechie by the camp of the party loyal to Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.

The Amaechi faction had on Saturday suspended the quartet, and expelled some others for alleged anti-party activities. This was happening while the other faction led by Aguna suspended Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula, the caretaker committee chairman of the camp loyal to Amaechi.

Nwuke talks tough

Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, spokesman of the APC loyal to Amaechi, warned that the party would not tolerate acts of destabilisation.

Nwuke said in a statement that most Rivers people are pleased with the decision of the party to recommend the expulsion of recalcitrant members, adding that the state secretariat acted on the request of aggrieved party members across the state.

He said: “We laud the leaders of our party right from the grassroots to the state level for seizing the opportunity to cut off the necks of hydra-headed snakes that have been spewing poison and hurting our members.

“We had hoped that initiating a peace process through the able collaboration of Senators Andrew Uchendu and Wilson Ake would clear the path for understanding and cooperation. It is evident that the gesture of our members on all sides to hunt for peace was largely misconstrued.”

Meanwhile, Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula, on Sunday said the rival camp led by Aguma has gone to court with the help of a top government official to procure court orders to truncate democracy and cause crisis in the party.

He stated that there was a pattern of deploying the judiciary to frustrate the APC in the state, adding that the party would take steps to stop the intended orders.

“Credible intelligence available to us has it that a judge of the high court of Rivers State will Monday or thereabout issue a restraining order against the APC and the Rivers State Chapter of the Caretaker Committee in the state from carrying out its functions of running the affairs of the party at the state, local government and ward levels”. Our suspension a charade – Deeyah.

However, a Chieftain of Aguma camp, Hon. Emmanuel Deeyah, said the suspension was a charade, adding that it was an attempt to destroy the party.

Deeyah, former House of representatives member representing Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency, noted that the Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula’s led caretaker committee does not exist, adding that the group does not have the right to carry out the action.

He said: “I just want to think that there are persons in the party who do not want the party to grow. Let us assume that Isaac Abbot-Ogbobula that calls himself whatever he is calling himself, I understand he is a lawyer, took Igo to Appeal Court that the judgement that the high court gave in favour of Igo ought not to be.

“Some of the cases are in Supreme Court and they have not upturned the decision of the high court that said Igo should become chairman of the caretaker committee among other statutory members of the party.

“The Court of Appeal has not given the judgement and you are here claiming chairmanship. If he is the authentic chairman he wouldn’t take this action. He does not derive power anywhere to do what he is doing. He is only creating confusion in the party.

“There was no stay of execution. In 2019 this was the same road we passed. We could have sat down to review all of these.”

He stated that the decision of National Executive Council of the party dissolving structures in all the states does not apply to Rivers State, adding that the state does not have elected officials.

Deeyah said: “There are many things wrong with what they are doing. The national said all the existing structures, that is elected, will be dissolved and caretaker appointed. That does not apply to Rivers State because we do not have elected officials. So, where did Ogbobula come from?

“What you are seeing is somebody who is desperate. According to lawyers, he is seeking self-help. What they are doing is to destroy the party.

“There was no suspension. You cannot building something on nothing. What they did does not exist. They do not have the right to do that.”

Vanguard