Stakeholders Move to Reconcile APC Factions in Rivers

 Ernest Chinwo in Port Harcourt

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have commenced moves to bring peace to the party.

APC in Rivers has been in crisis following disagreements between the two major factions led by Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, and the former lawmaker representing Rivers South-east Senatorial District, Senator Magnus Abe.

The division in the party and litigations arising therefrom caused the Supreme Court to declare that the party could not field any candidate for any position in the 2019 general elections.

In a meeting yesterday in Port Harcourt, stakeholders made up of former elected and appointed members of the party from the state expressed sadness that despite losing the right to field any candidate in the last general election, the party was still on the track of making more mistakes.

Convener of the meeting and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Emmanuel Deeya, in his opening remarks, dismissed insinuations that they were being sponsored by Rivers State Governor, Nyesom
Wike.

Deeyah stated that the only way forward for the APC in the state was for the leaders of the party to go into dialogue first before talking about organising congress.

He described the caretaker committee set up by the national leadership of the party as unconstitutional as former elected lawmakers and political appointtees are statutory members of the State Executive Council of the party.

In his remarks, another former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Igo Aguma, however, expressed regrets over efforts by some APC members in the state to scuttle moves to return peace to the party.

Aguma said: “The invitation to this meeting clearly stated that it is not a formal meeting of APC members. The invitation cuts across both factions of the APC in Rivers State.

“As conveners of this meeting, we have been trying our best to see how we can bring both factions of the party together. But, we are receiving the greatest uncooperation from our members, including the elders.”

In attendance at the meeting were former members of the National Assembly, former members of Rivers State House of Assembly and former political appointees.