The political power play between the two major factions of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, took a new dimension on Monday as the Senator Magnus Abe-led faction, which was earlier suspended from the party last week by Rotimi Ameachi faction, on Monday took a countermeasure by announcing the suspension of the Minister of Transportation and all his key loyalists.
Magnus Abe and Rotimi Amaechi have been at each other’s throats for the control of the party in Rivers State.
The retaliatory action by Mr Abe’s faction also affected Amaechi’s loyalists like Abott Isaac Ogbobula, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of a faction of the party loyal to Amaechi, Chief Victor Giadom and Chief Andrew Uchendu.
In a press statement by Livingston Wechie, media aide to Aguma, who is the arrowhead of Magnus Abe’s faction, the decision to suspend Amaechi and others was taken at the party’s State Executive Caretaker Committee meeting held in Port Harcourt on Monday, December 21, 2020.
He said the extraordinary Executive meeting was presided over by Aguma, who was described as the State Acting/Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Party.
According to the statement, the State Executive Committee mandated Aguma to write a letter to the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RISIEC) communicating the readiness of the APC to fully participate in the April 17th 2021 Local Government Election in Rivers state.
The statement further indicated that Aguma briefed the Executive Committee meeting that he received communication from the APC Executive of Gokana LGA to the effect that both Ward 16, Bera and the Gokana LGA chapters of the Party have expelled Chief Victor Giadom from the APC.
In addition, Aguma claimed that he received a report from Ward 4 and Emohua Local Government Chapter of the party in Rivers that Senator Chief Andrew Uchendu has been suspended from the APC.
The statement added that the Executive Committee referred both reports from Emohua and Gokana Local Government Areas on Chief Giadom and Senator Uchendu to the State Disciplinary Committee for further action in line with Article 21 of APC Constitution.
“The meeting was well attended by Statutory/Executive members of the Party both physically and virtually and major issues were deliberated upon with the following decisions that the State Executive Caretaker Committee ratified the recommendation of the State Disciplinary Committee of the Party which looked into the decision of the Ward and LGA chapters to suspend His Excellency Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi of Ward 8, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State for Anti-Party activities.
“State Executive Committee also accepted and ratified the decision of the State Disciplinary Committee to uphold the indefinite suspension of Barr Isaac Ogbobula by the Ward 10 and LGA Executive of Ahoada-East Local Government Area of Rivers State. Barr Isaac Ogbobula is hereby suspended indefinitely from APC Rivers.
“The State Caretaker Committee also expressed commitment to work assiduously to bring the party to reckoning in Rivers state. We therefore urge our teeming members and supporters to stay focused as we collectively usher in the new dawn of APC in Rivers state.”
