The struggle for political space in Rivers State politics has led to emergence of three factions in the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers State. While the former Governor and immediate past Minister of Transportation His Excellency (Barr. Rt. Honourable Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi held sway as leader of APC in Rivers State chapter there was only a faction led by Senator Magnus Abe prior to the 2023 General election. But the moment there was gubernatorial primary election in late 2022 and the surfacing of Pastor Architect Tonye Dele Cole as Governorship candidate of the party and Senator Magnus Abe seeking governorship election under the platform of Social Democratic Party SDP Tony Okocha took hold of overall alliance with Nyesom Wike, his kinsman and former ally while Nyesom Wike was Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Council, Pastor Tonye Cole refused to drop his Election Petition Tribunal Case when National Working Committee, NWC solicited for all Court cases to be dropped by members and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi being a former Minister highest ranking member of APC in Rivers State, his voice was ignored Tonye Cole who Amaechi nominated twice to run for Rivers State Governorship election. First was in 2019 which was botched by a Supreme Court Judgement that barred APC from fielding candidates for Governorship, House of Assembly, House Representatives and Senate. It was a gloomy era for APC followers due to Senator Magnus Abe and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi’s political power tussle in 2019.
Fast forward to 2023 general elections where the political permutations changed drastically. It was a different game as the Peoples Democratic party PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s emergence as Presidential candidate of the party never went well with Nyesom Ezebunwo Wike and his G-5 Governors Forum. He searched for political alliance that his followers will endorse for Presidential election. Now, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu being a southern Presidential candidate got inside G-5 plans for support during the election. It was at this moment that Tony Okocha and his supporters under Bola Ahmed Tinubu Supporters vanguard, BATSV took centre stage in allying with G-5 and Grassroot Development Initiatives GDI with Wike as founder since 2014.
While Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and Chief Emeka Beke led Party Executives being elected as State Chairman of APC allegedly aligned with Presidential candidate of PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, with Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi said to have given the political realignment a nod.
All supporters of Wike and Tony Okocha worked assiduously during the Presidential election of February 25th 2023 to deliver votes for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against PDP Presidential candidate. Immediately after the swearing in of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu the elected party executives in Rivers State got rebuked by the National Working Committee with one court case or the other each moment there was unfavourable political permutation. Thus, Emeka Beke got the wrong side of NWC of APC at Abuja as anti-party activities became a serious charge against him and his executive. That was how Tony Okocha became the Caretaker Committee Chairman with Azubuike Ikenga the leader of Tonye Cole’s faction being nominated as Secretary of the 7-man Caretaker Committee. Thus, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi supporters in Rivers State became unwanted political followers until Monday 12th of August, 2024 when a Rivers State Port Harcourt judicial Division High Court delivered judgment in a case No. PHC/CS/3592/2023 instituted by chief Emeka Beke in which he and his executive members brought a legal matter before Honourable Justice Aprioku. And in his wisdom Honourable Justice S.H Aprioku’s 48 pages judgment was delivered in favour of the applicants Chief Emeka Beke and his elected party executive against the Tony Okocha’s led 7-man Caretaker Committee with Perpetual injunction slammed against Tony Okocha and his team. A mysterious court matter was allegedly said to have been instituted by APC against Emeka Beke in 2023 that sacked him and his elected executive and an Appeal entered by him which he is currently telling anyone who cares to listen that he knows nothing about such mysterious court matter. NWC bringing back Tony Okocha by word of mouth instead of through legal procedure has been described as a strange situation in Rivers State political landscape.In a Press release by Emeka Beke led elected executives signed by the spokesman of APC by Darlinghton Nwauju “We close by appealing to the NWC to stop distracting our beloved President with ill-timed political innuendos/permutations which do not add a single grain of value to the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
“Let it be known that the continuous attempt to oxygenate a contraption in the name of a Caretaker Committee in Rivers State is a slap on the face of the judiciary. As it is today, the tenure of the elected executives of the party in the state has been preserved by the Order of Court, therefore, contemplating fresh congresses for the party in Rivers State will not only be an act of illegality but shall amount to sheer waste of resources” Darlinghton Nwauju stated.
Given the barrage of legal tussles for control of Rivers State APC, NWC Abuja that includes Chief Victor Giadom South-South Vice Chairman of APC who was once on the side of Amaechi and is now a close ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Tony Okocha. Allowing Chief Emeka Beke a quick return as APC Rivers State Chairman when 2027 general election is almost around the corner no matter the outcome of any delegates’ election, Chief Emeka Beke and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi will bounce back to political; relevance against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in Rivers State come 2027.
-Emeka Amaefula
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