Rivers APC draws battle line with party’s national chairman for appointing Wike loyalists

Rivers APC has drawn a battle line with the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje for appointing Wike loyalists.

 

Newsonline Nigeria reports that the embattled Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, has urged the Party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, to reverse the National Working Committee’s decision to dissolve the party leadership in the state.

 

This Nigeria news platform understands that Beke made the appeal on Thursday in Port Harcourt, saying the party’s executive in the state has yet to expire.

 

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Recall that the Ganduje-led APC NWC announced the dissolution of the Rivers excos on Wednesday in Abuja, replacing them with a caretaker committee to oversee the party’s activities in the state for six months.

 

Chief Tony Okocha, the head of the caretaker committee, is a known associate of former Peoples Democratic Party Governor, Nyesom Wike, who is currently in a national coalition with the APC.

 

President Bola Tinubu appointed Wike of the PDP as Rivers minister, ignoring APC members such as Tonye Cole, the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections.

 

Cole is an ally of ex-governor Rotimi Amaechi, Wike’s main political foe in Rivers State.

 

Announcing the dissolution of the Rivers APC excos on Wednesday in Abuja, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Mouka, said, “We have resolved at the NWC meeting that Rivers APC should be dissolved and a caretaker committee put in place.

 

”The committee will have Chief Tony Okocha as chairman and Eric Nwibani as Secretary.

 

However, in response to the decision of the party’s national leadership on Thursday, Emeka, the sacked chairman of the Rivers APC, claimed that under the party’s constitution, only the NEC has the authority to dissolve an elected state exco.

 

He stated, “What does the constitution of the party say? Only NEC has the moral right. I am surprised the NWC said it has that power. I don’t think there is any time the NEC gave them (NWC) the power to do that. It is so shocking and surprising.”