The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has opposed the removal of the Tony Okocha-led caretaker committee, arguing that the Rivers State court lacks the authority to make such a decision.
This reaction follows a ruling by the Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, which on Monday annulled the sacking of the Emeka Beke-led executive of the APC in Rivers State. The court, presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku, determined that the APC National Working Committee acted outside its authority by dissolving the elected executives led by Emeka Beke.
Justice Aprioku stated that the National Working Committee does not have the power to dissolve an elected state executive or to establish a caretaker committee while the tenure of the elected executive is still valid. Consequently, the court has barred Tony Okocha and the members of the caretaker committee from continuing to act as APC executives in Rivers State.
In response, the caretaker committee has strongly contested the ruling. Chibuike Ikenga, spokesman for the Rivers APC Caretaker Committee, criticised the court’s judgment, asserting that it does not override a previous Supreme Court ruling on the matter.
Ikenga stated, “It (the court’s decision) is an effort in futility. The reason is that the Supreme Court has made pronouncements and taken decisions on issues pertaining to the internal affairs of a political party, which are justifiable before any court.”
He further claimed, “What we have seen was also a choreographed judgment, in the sense that the judge and a couple of his colleagues are dancing to the tune of the Rivers State government. The judgment itself is a clear indication of those coalitions you have seen from haters of President Bola Tinubu and the move to take him out of power after losing the election serially in Rivers State.”
Ikenga added, “We have spoken to our lawyers and they will appeal accordingly. By the way, our party has given us the power to continue to act because it is strictly the internal affairs of the party. We are not under any form of pressure. As you can see, we are still going about our business because we know the position of the law.”
He concluded, “The court cannot force people removed for anti-party activities to lead us in the state. These people left the campaign for President Bola Tinubu and supported Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. It was based on that they were dissolved.”
