Rivers State APC Was Going Adrift-Hon. Sokonte

Dr. Sokonte Davies, the newly elected Rivers State, APC, Chairman in an interview with the Asphericnews disclosed the genesis of the crisis in Rivers State’s APC.

In his statement, he said: “As far as I am concerned a little while after 2016 rerun election, the early part of January 2017, it was observed that because of the ambitions of the various stakeholders of the party, the party was going adrift, so the Leader of the party in the person of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi called a meeting of all stakeholders of the party.

And according to Dr. Sokonte, in the meeting: “Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi appealed to everybody and said he is not stopping anybody from aspiring to be anything but it is important for us to build the party, because as at that time the morale of party members was very low and people have started factionalizing the party alongside ambitions, such as Governorship ambition, Senatorial ambition, House reps’ ambitions, different ambitions and things like that. Sokonte said.

“So, the morale of members was low, and except those who believe that we should have only one leader, and they believe that since we have a leader we should give it direction, not people trying to divide the party alongside their ambition. So, he called the meeting as any leader will really do, to appeal that everybody should keep his or her ambition aside for the moment, so that we can be the party and have many members and engage in activities that will boost the morale of the party, then when we very strong then people can begin to pursue their ambitions and that went well with the people.

“Indeed those who went on to create the problems were in that meeting and they accepted it. Only for us to find out later that they have other programs. What are the programs? The tenure of the exco of the party has expired, initially, the party at the national level felt that the people holding offices at that time run their tenures, and immediately after the elections of 2019, we will go into electing officers.

“But after all types of discussions, it was agreed that the party should hold a congress at various levels before their elections. So, the congresses were supposed to hold in Rivers State and people bought forms, then one day the party Secretariat at GRA was thrashed, terribly thrashed, the reason is that some people feel that they were not going to be allowed to run and it was not like that.

“So, they went to court and before the court order could come, the party has gone to organize its congresses. But the same day the court came, and said that everything should be set aside, the party set aside everything and went on to hold the congress and said everybody who felt exempted, anybody who felt blocked but has bought nomination form should come for the congresses and in that wisdom the congresses were held.

“But the first case went on to cancel the congresses, and based on that cancelation went on to cancel all the primaries we have conducted in the state that was in the court for a while and we went back and forth until the Supreme Court upheld that decision so the APC didn’t have any candidate in the 2019 election.

“So, after the 2019 election, the party set up a caretaker committee, which will come and organize congresses for the party in the state. And they said all those who have bought form before do not need to by anymore form, they don’t need to pay for any more form and everybody should come and participate.

“That process was done, and one day we heard that a court case has been instituted by Rt. Hon. Barakuma and that surprised everybody, and the claim was that as a member of the statutory committee of the state exco.

“That request was a bit absurd, but the court in its own wisdom granted his prayers.

Ayooluwa Joshua