APC threatens to arrest Okocha, others

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State, Chief Emeka Beke, has threatened to initiate the arrest of a Chieftain of the party, Chief Tony Okocha, and other members of his team if they continue to claim Chairmanship and leadership of the party in the state.

Beke said the party is disturbed with the recurrent claims by Okocha that he is the Chairman of the party, alleging that he is only an impersonator.

Beke, a close associate of the former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, who spoke in Port Harcourt, the State capital, over the weekend, hinted that Martin Amaewhule and 26 other embattled lawmakers of the State House of Assembly cannot deny their membership of the APC when they had formerly defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to APC

He noted that the ruling by Justice Sika Aprioku which sacked Tony Okocha-led seven-man Caretaker Committee and recognized him as the party’s duly elected chairman in the state had yet to be overturned by any Court, insisting that nothing would stop the APC from participating fully in the local government elections.

Beke said he has instructed his lawyers to secure an arrest warrant against Tony Okocha, if his actions continue to portray him as having taken decisions on behalf of the main opposition party in the state.

He said: “Anybody who claims that he is doing anything I have instructed our lawyers to secure a warrant of arrest because as a party we believe in the rule of law.”

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, last Friday, dismissed a defection suit instituted against the Martin Amaewhule-led lawmakers by the Action Peoples Party, APP, saying the suit was not filed within the 14-day period allowed by law.

Beke said: “I want to put it on record that those 27 members of the House of Assembly are still members of the APC. The law is clear on defection. They cannot run away from the truth because we all know and saw it when they defected to our party.

“They are members of our party and we have accepted them fully as key stakeholders of the APC. It is very obvious, evident and on record that in several fora, Martin Amawgule and 26 others publicly defected from the PDP to the APC.

“And they were hosted in a reception ceremony by Tony Okocha who then claims to be the CTC Chairman of Rivers State APC. The reception was at the Port Harcourt Polo Club and it was open. Therefore, they cannot sheepishly make a U-turn in the midnight and yet be celebrated by the same Tony Okocha who they are now denying. What a shame.”

Beke disclosed that appropriate disciplinary actions would be taken against the pro-Wike lawmakers after the October 5, 2024 local government election, adding that the APC would take part in the LG polls and would win seats.

“In our last meeting we sent out invitations for them (pro-Wike lawmakers) to attend, but they did not. Right now we are talking about local elections and after the local government elections we will take necessary actions concerning them,” he said.

“As the duly elected Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, I want to put it on record that first, the APC will take part in the forth-coming local government elections on 5th October. We are fielding candidates for the various positions in all the 23 LGA’s. Our candidates have been screened and cleared by the RSIEC,” Beke said.