A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress and a political ally of former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has said it is the policies of President Bola Tinubu that may be used against him in 2027, cautioning the Rivers state chapter of the party under caretaker committee chairman Chief Tony Okocha to refrain from casting aspersions on Amaechi.
Eze was reacting to a statement credited to Okocha, who said: “There is an intention to throw up Amaechi’s man and then he (Amaechi) becomes the APC leader and then uses the APC to fight Mr. President in 2027. We will never allow that.”
Okocha also stated: “Beke has shot himself in the leg by also referring to Amaechi as leader of the party in Rivers and the South-South. A man who refused to cooperate with President Tinubu then as presidential candidate. A man who worked for the opposition.”
Eze warned against smear campaigns and defamatory insinuations aimed at reducing Amaechi in the estimation of Nigerians.
He rebuffed Okocha’s claim that Amaechi intends to use Rivers APC Chairman Chief Emeka Beke to fight Tinubu in 2027, saying: “The cascade of administrative ineptitude, policy summersaults and multi-layer corruption that has fanned the embers of hyper-unemployment, insecurity, food price hike and more form a veritable mountain of weapons with which Nigerians are armed to fight and oust Tinubu from office in 2027.”
Eze emphasized that engaging in avoidable tussles is not in Amaechi’s character, as he has never struggled for power. He noted that those who formed APC can ascertain who truly is the Leader of APC in Rivers state and the South-South, recalling that at the formation of APC, Tinubu was made National Leader while Amaechi emerged South-South leader.
Eze also referenced a court judgment delivered by Justice Sika H. Aprioku of the State High Court in Port Harcourt, which he described as comprehensive and covering the field.
He stated: “Simply, they sought the court’s interpretation of the APC Constitution via Originating Summons on the ground of their unlawful ouster from the various offices into which they were congressionally elected and to which the usurpers claimed title.”
He quoted the court’s view that the appointment of Okocha and his collaborators by Ganduje was ultra vires and in gross violation of the party’s Constitution.
Eze added: “Beyond being ultra vires of the APC Constitution, the High Court was also clear on its stand about the unlawful appointment of a makeshift committee to replace a democratically elected Executive Committee of the State Chapter on the unsubstantiated allegation of anti-party conduct at the 2023 polls; as same was in clear breach of the right of the reinstated party officials to fair hearing as guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and therefore cannot stand. This very judgment is not the type that can be upturned at appeal.”
