Omiete Blessing
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Eze Chukwuemeka, has has described as contemptuous remarks credited to the Deputy National Secretary Secretary of the party, Mr Festus Fuanters, over his stance on the reinstatement of Emeka Beke, as Chairman, State Chapter of the APC.
Eze said the legal battle between the Beke-led State Working Committee after the national leadership of the party allegedly perceived their loyalty to the former Transportation Minister, Chibuike Amaechi and constituted the Caretaker Committee led by Tony Okocha
According to Eze, “The court in its judgement bemoaned the party for acting ultra vires its constitution in dissolving a democratically elected leadership team and setting up a makeshift committee even when there exists no proof of anti-party indulgences or any wrongdoing whatsoever by the Emeka Beke-led team.
“It was the judgement reinstating Emeka Beke and his team that offended the APC Deputy National Secretary and triggered his fruitless labour of gaudy razzmatazz in a bid to continually massage the ego of the undisclosed political buccaneer(s) cheering the witch-hunt against former Minister Amaechi”.
Speaking further, Eze said the confidence oozed by the Deputy National Secretary “in his discourteous ululation points to the fact that the Ganduje-led National Working Committee of the APC is avast to democracy, rule of law and a proactive, independent judiciary and is aggressively committed now than ever to destroying the APC and other democratic institutions within the polity with his abrasive tendencies”.
The party Chief noted with dismay that “the Deputy National Secretary, presented himself as a better residual of legal knowledge than the court which did an exhaustive legal work and displayed excellence and sound logical reasoning in its judgement, stressing that this arrogant display of barefaced ignorance puts a doubt on his qualification as a lawyer”.
He expressed disappointment over “the presence of the likes of Victor Giadom, a major beneficiary of the sacrifices of party faithful in Rivers who suffered a gamut of dehumanising treatment and lost lives and limbs during elections, in the congregation of five political hustlers out of 25 that make up the APC NWC,
who are obviously playing the script of the FCT Minister”.
Eze cautioned the party national chairman “to be wary of inveighing the APC into a situation in which the party will be reckoned with as a group dissident to lawful order and decisions of courts”, noting that such narrative from a ruling party spells doom for the judiciary and the country.
He noted that the five NWC members who showed up for the meeting represent a group who have allegedly “sold their souls to Wike for money and unfortunately, Victor Giadom is amongst them”.
“The party is aware that with the position of the court as represented in the judgment, Emeka Beke remains the Chairman and any dealing with Tony Okocha in the name of the party in Rivers State is unlawful and an invitation to anarchy. The knowledge of this truth made majority members of the NWC, especially the principal members like the Chairman, Publicity Secretary, Legal Adviser and others to distance themselves from Wike-induced media briefing”.
He however, urged the party leadership to “respect the judgement of court to save her from a looming crisis which may shake her to her very foundation and allow Emeka Beke and his congressionally elected team to seamlessly serve out their term as ordered by court”.