Hinging on the mantra of party supremacy, he claimed that his election and subsequent inauguration were supported by the National Network Committee (NWC) of the party, followed due process and could not be faulted by the court.
Speaking to journalists during activities marking his birthday celebration in his home in Rivers State, the Rivers State Representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) accused the state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara of being the brain behind the judgment that also nullified all the state congresses held recently.
Justice Obomanu, in his ruling, expressed surprise that the party went ahead to conduct the congresses despite the court order to the contrary.
But in his reaction, Okocha stated that the party followed due process in the conduct of the election saying that the national secretariat of the APC set up a valid timetable for congresses and that he paid N3 million to buy form to contest for the chairmanship position.
“I campaigned and our members said I have been doing well and I won as chairman. I am not aware of any court judgment anywhere. They did not serve me.”
He explained that 18 national committee members led by the national chairman of the APC, Dr. Ibrahim Ganduje, were in Port Harcourt recently to inaugurate his newly elected executive committee, which made the committee authentic because of the supremacy of the party.
Okocha threatened to expel the litigants from the party, adding, “I can’t sit here and allow anybody to embarrass the President.
“It is the party that decides who becomes the chairman of the party; party is supreme. Let us pray that our state does not slide into chaos,” said.
He added that there were several matters of the party subsisting in the Appeal Court, and stressed, “The State High Court is lower to the Appeal Court in rank.”
Okocha, however, thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the positive changes his policies were beginning to achieve since he assumed office, stating that with the President’s marching order for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna and Warri refineries to resume production would further force the cost of fuel down.
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