The battle of supremacy between the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, and Senator Magnus Abe over the control of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has been taken to a higher pedestal. The minister may have succeeded in influencing the APC to suspend Senator Magnus Abe and three other party members perceived to be loyal to the senator from the party.
Those suspended with Abe include Rt. Hon. Igo Aguma, Livingstone Weche and Hon. Worgu Boms. The party leadership is hanging them on the disciplinary cross of disobedience to the APC Constitution and anti-party activities.
The APC State Executive Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, affirming the action, explained that the action became necessary following the suspension of the party members from their wards and local government. Ogbobula further demanded the APC National Working Committee (NWC) in Abuja to expel Magnus Abe and the three other members from the ruling party.
The Rivers State Caretaker Committee took another stern action to expel all APC members inaugurated as Local Government and Ward executives across the state, sanctioning them for presenting themselves for inauguration by Hon. Igo Aguma, who is a factional APC leader in Rivers State.
The Rivers APC in a statement by the State Publicity Secretary, Ogbonna Nwuke, indicated that most members of the party were satisfied with the recommendation for the expulsion of Abe and his suspended loyalists by the national leadership.
The SPS said that the State Secretariat acted on the request of aggrieved party members from the wards and local governments that members detested “the actions of hired agents that are determined to encourage the destabilization of our great party.”
He declared: “We laud the leaders of our party right from the grassroots to the State level for seizing the opportunity to cut off the necks of hydra-headed snakes that have been spewing poison and hurting our members.
“We had hoped that initiating a peace process through the able collaboration of Senators Andrew Uchendu and Wilson Ake would clear the path for understanding and cooperation. It is evident that the gesture by our members on all sides to hunt for peace was largely misconstrued.
“How can we tolerate acts of lawlessness in our midst because few persons with ambitions feel that their desire is greater than the interests of a great majority of Party members?
“Let it be known that the APC will no longer tolerate acts of indiscipline and destabilization. From now on, we will cleanse the Augean stable. The will of the National Secretariat of our great party must be respected.
‘No one comes to the nest of an eagle to say the eagle is blind. It doesn’t happen. Those who do so pay a great price.
“That is what is happening to Senator Magnus Abe, Hon Igo Aguma, and their co-travellers who time and time again refused mediation and collaboration in order to promote hate and instability within the party,” the statement stressed.
“The Court’s did not say Igo Aguma should remain in office in perpetuity. The pronouncement of the Port Harcourt High Court was clear. Aguma did not obey the ruling of the Court that installed him. He did not collaborate with statutory members as he was directed to do. Those who come to equity must do so with clean hands.
“This is why the contempt charge brought against statutory members who acted in defence of Party interests was struck out by the same Court that he approached.”
Amechi had denied Abe the APC governorship ticket in Rivers State in the 2019 general elections which generated intractable conflicts that culminated to the APC not having a governorship candidate in the state. Since then, factional structures have been strengthened in Rivers while the battle intensified.