The recent letter from the National Secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to have laid to final rest, all speculations and uncertainties about the leadership of the party and the fortunes of her teeming members in Rivers State, who have continued to endure the raging storm since 2018 amidst challenges.
In a letter dated 23 December, 2020, signed by the Head of Legal Services of the APC – Dare Oketada Esq and addressed to the self-acclaimed Caretaker Committee chairman of the Rivers APC, Hon. Igo Aguma, the party said no record exists in the party’s national secretariat or elsewhere, evidencing the legitimacy of Aguma and his cohorts as officials of the APC in any recognized capacity. It further made it abundantly clear that Barr. Isaac Abbott Ogbobula, is and remains the recognized Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the APC.
The letter partly reads inter alia; “…we have checked through our records at the National Secretariat and found out that these persons are not officers of the party in Rivers State. I am therefore directed by the National Chairman, His Excellency, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, to notify you, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress is led by Hon. Isaac Abbott Ogbobula, who was duly sworn in at the National Secretariat of the party on the 11th of December, 2020 by virtue of the National Executive Committee directive issued at its 8th December 2020 meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja…”
The letter titled “Purported Suspension of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Sen. Andrew Uchendu and Expulsion of Chief Hon. Victor Giadom”, also drew the attention of Aguma and his accomplices to the very grave consequences of impersonation in the Party’s Constitution and within Nigeria’s criminal jurisdiction, warning that the National leadership of the party will no longer accommodate actions targeted at either disparaging leaders of the party or bringing the party to ridicule and public odium for whatever selfish ends.
Recall that Aguma, Abe and others had in a very dramatic twist, announced the suspension of Rt. Hon. Amaechi, Sen. Uchendu and the expulsion of Chief Victor Giadom, claiming that the disciplinary measures were handed down on the leaders by the executive committee of their various wards and LGAs even when party officials named as signatories to the purported suspensions have denied any knowledge of such action, condemning it as an act of sabotage and threatening to set the court in motion against Aguma and others for criminal impersonation.
Reacting to the warning, chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and erstwhile National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, said the letter further exposes Abe, Aguma as lacking political offices to act on behalf of the party or any of her agents and warned that anyone dealing with either or both of them, their agents and/or assigns does so at his own peril, stressing that Abe and Aguma are busybodies and merely on the frolics of their own and have no authority to conduct the businesses of the party.
In a statement made available to media houses, the party stalwart likened Aguma and Abe to the sons of Sceva, a Jewish Priest, who went around driving out evil spirits using the name of the Lord Jesus on those who were demon-possessed. (Acts 19:13-15) “they would say in the name of Jesus…I command you to come out.” One day the…spirit answered them and said “Jesus I know,… Paul I know…but who are you?
Given that the National Leadership of the All Progressives Congress has said “…Amaechi we know, Uchendu and Giadom we know”, Abe and Aguma – please who are you? Eze queried.
Similarly, the party chief warned members of the Rivers APC not to be quickly distracted by Gov. Wike’s offer to further compensate Aguma and Abe with the chairmanship slots of some local government areas in the forthcoming local government elections including Andoni and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni as the duo lacks this capacity to negotiate any offer on behalf of the party.
He said the offer of the Governor to Abe and Aguma, is another reward for the duo for paving the way for Gov. Wike’s easy access to victory in the 2019 elections and to reinforce them to do more for the PDP in 2023.
Eze admonished that the leadership of the party is yet to make known the position of the Rivers APC on the 2021 local government elections, noting that Aguma’s opinion merely represents his position as a meddlesome interloper and nothing more and calling on the public and party members not to fall prey to their satanic scheme.
He said party faithful must be weary of being inveigled into a situation in which they find themselves suddenly becoming collaborators of wrongdoers in the pursuit of their selfish private vendetta without recourse to what is right, stressing that all actions taken and agreements reached between Gov. Wike and the duo of Abe and Aguma in connection to the 2021 local government elections and other concerns of the party are null and void and of no effect and consequence.
He said having been warned, Aguma may risk arrest and prosecution in line with Nigeria criminal jurisprudence, should he continue to parade himself as the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the Rivers APC.
Commending the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Gov. Mai Buni and his team for the timely action, Chief Eze said members of the Rivers APC can now celebrate Christmas and new year with settled mind and the full assurance that the scheme to plunge the party into another crisis has met its waterloo following the clarification and warning from the Party’s National Leadership.
