‘Ganduje Frustrating Peace Process in Rivers APC’

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

The factional spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Mr. Darlington Nwauju, has accused the National Chairman of APC, Alhaji Abdulahi Ganduje of allegedly frustrating efforts of lasting peace in the leadership of the party in the state.This is as  the recently inaugurated Chairman of APC in Rivers, Chief Tony Okocha,  has threatened to expel all the troublemakers who have allegedly refused to allow peace in the party  and work with the current executive.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Port Harcourt, Nwauju accused Ganduje of dictatorial leadership style, urging him and Okocha’s leadership to stop desecrating the judiciary and de-marketing the party.

Nwauju expressed sadness that there is alleged conspiracy to delete the memories of the supporters of the Emeka Beke’s leadership of APC “who unfortunately lost their the opportunity to rewrite the history of the party here in Rivers and ensure that justice is not served on sponsors and perpetrators of those barbaric crimes that took place in 2015, 2019 and 2023.”

The APC scribe regretted that the party has suffered avoidable media bashing in recent weeks and months “due to the dictatorial leadership style of Alhaji Ganduje who seems to be in such a hurry to rewrite history our painful history.” 

He said: “It would not be out of place for any journalist in this room today to confidently construct beautiful headlines that will pull by the nose given the notorious fact that, Alhaji Ganduje, who promised internal democracy for the party on August 3, 2023 after his ratification by NEC, has managed the Rivers State chapter exactly like a workman quarrelling with his tools.

“We are worried that Alhaji Ganduje is doing everything possible to bully the very principles of progressivism upon which our party was founded and to even imagine the peculiarity of the Rivers state chapter of the party where tons of human beings had their lives cut short for their membership of the APC.”

Nwauju stressed that since the High Court judgement is on appeal and the Court of Appeal fixed 4th and 12th February 2025 to hear the matter, “what is the rush in countering the order of Court?

Speaking about the alleged plan to suspend their supporters, he said : “Expelling Chief Emeka Beke and the rest of us who are rightful officers of the party in the state and accusing us of collaborating with the Governor of Rivers State to embarrass the APC? If  we may ask which of the APCs? The one they sabotaged in 2015, 2019 and 2023? Is it the same APC that they abandoned to join the SDP, jumped ship to openly campaign for the PDP and Governor Fubara?

Briefing journalists shortly after an event to celebrate his birthday at his residence in Rumuigbo in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state on Sunday, Chief Okocha accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara of meddling into the affairs of the APC in the state.

Alleging that the governor is influencing the outcomes of court cases involving the APC in the state,  describing the judiciary in Rivers as the Governor’s supermarket, Okocha threatened to expel rebellious members embarrassing the party and President Bola Tinubu through frivolous court cases.

Okocha, who was reacting to last Friday’s judgement of a High Court in the State which nullified the party’s recent congresses said the judge is Governor’s kinsman, alleging he was working on the governor’s directive.

“The judge comes from a place called Opobo where our greatest traducer comes from.  In fact not only coming from, he (Fubara) is the person who is behind all this macabre dance. I am talking about Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

“Now he is in the business of divide and rule and making a mess in the entire judiciary in the state. My friends have begged me to refrain from using uncanny and uncouth words while describing the judiciary in Rivers State. I had hitherto said to you and I will say it again that the judiciary in Rivers State is a supermarket. Is the Governor’s supermarket. He goes and buys any judgement he wants and assigns cases to anybody he likes. All of these things have been concluded for crying out loud.”

Faulting Okocha’s allegations, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, Jerry Omatsogunwa said it is wrong for people to attach ethnic undertones when court judgements don’t go their way and called on the APC to resolve their problems instead of mentioning the Governor whom he said is busy steering the ship of state.

According to Omatsogunwa, “First I will ask the legal issue in the state who is behind it. If he (Okocha) also said the Governor doesn’t have a party. I have seen the governor attending PDP Governors’ Forum meetings. If the governor does not have a party, I don’t see him attending PDP Governors meetings

“It is just Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State attending PDP Governors Forum meeting when he is not a member of PDP, you can’t see him there. So, I think he needs to get his facts right. Governor  Fubara is a bonafide member of the PDP.

“You disobeyed the court order and the hammer fell on you, how does it concern the governor? The governor controls his own arm, the executive. He is not a member of the judiciary, nor is it that when a judgment does not favour you start bringing in ethnic sentiments.”

He added: “I don’t know what he means by having a supermarket and controlling the APC. He (Okocha) should control the crisis in his party. If he cannot, he should resign and not blame another person who doesn’t know what is happening in your party.”