TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to sanction Igo Aguma (pictured), a former factional chairman of the party in Rivers state, over the “purported suspension” of Rotimi Amaechi, minister of transportation.

In a letter dated December 23 and addressed to Aguma, a former house of representatives member, Dare Oketade, head of legal services of the ruling party, described Aguma as an impostor, saying the APC would not tolerate any action calculated at disparaging it.

Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, chairman of the caretaker committee in Rivers, had suspended Magnus Abe and Aguma.

In response, Aguma who heads a faction which Abe belongs to, suspended Amaechi and Andrew Uchendu, a former senator.

The Ogbobula-led committee was set up after the party’s national executive committee (NEC) dissolved all its organs across the country.

In the letter, Oketade said the party has set up a reconciliation panel led by John Oyegun, a former national chairman of the party, and Aguma could approach it if he has any grievances.

“The attention of the Party has been drawn, through the social and print media to the purported suspension of Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, Sen. Andrew Uchendu and the purported expulsion of Chief Hon. Victor Giadom, respectively as members of the Party in Rivers State by some so called ward executives of the Party,” the head of legal services said.

“We have checked through our records at the National Secretariat and found out that these persons are not officers of the Party in Rivers State. I am therefore directed by the National Chairman, His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni, to notify you, for the avoidance of doubt, that the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress is led by the Hon. Isaac Abbot Ogbobula who was duly sworn in at the National Secretariat of the Party on the 11th of December 2020 by virtue of the National Executive Committee directives issued at its 8th December 2020 meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

“By the above, I wish to draw you and other Party members in Rivers State attention to the consequences of impersonation both within the Constitution of our Party and the laws of Nigeria.

“It is therefore in the interest of the general public and our members in Rivers State that I am further directed to notify you that all actions purportedly taken those ward executives, unknown to the National Headquarters of the Party, and you in the name of the All Progressives Congress are null and void and of no moment.

“The Party will henceforth not tolerate any acts which are calculated to disparage the leaders of the Party or bring the Party to ridicule for whatever motivation.

“The Party will not hesitate to take necessary disciplinary measures should any member of the Party in Rivers State continue to take steps in impersonating the recognized State Caretaker Committee led by Hon. Isaac Abbot Ogbobula or any of his Local Government or Ward Executives.”

Abe and Amaechi have been at loggerheads over affairs of the APC in Rivers. Their rift worsened during the 2019 general election.

While the minister backed Tonye Cole, co-founder of Sahara Group, as the party’s governorship candidate in Rivers, Abe fought to be the party’s standard bearer.

As a result of the clash of interest, Cole and Abe emerged as governorship candidates after parallel congresses were held in the state.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had disqualified the party from the 2019 polls.