A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress faction loyal to the former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, Chukwuemeka Eze, has slammed the Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Festus Fuanters, over his stance on the reinstatement of Emeka Beke as Chairman of the Rivers State Chapter of the APC.
Recall that a Rivers State High Court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku, had dismissed the Tony Okocha-led Caretaker Committee of the APC in Rivers State and reinstated the Beke-led executive committee, which the party’s National Working Committee had previously dissolved.
However, Fuanters reacted by stating that the ruling by the State High Court is not binding on the party, insisting that it still recognises the erstwhile caretaker committee set up to oversee the party’s affairs in the state.
Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party, described Fuanters’ comments as ridiculous in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Sunday.
He stated that Fuanters’ confidence suggests that the Abdullahi Ganduje-led National Working Committee of the APC is opposed to democracy, the rule of law, and the independence of the judiciary, and is aggressively committed to undermining the party and other democratic institutions with its coarse tendencies.
Eze noted with dismay that “the party’s Deputy National Secretary presented himself as having greater legal knowledge than the court, which conducted an exhaustive legal review and displayed excellence and sound logical reasoning in its judgement.”
“This arrogant display of ignorance raises doubts about his qualifications as a lawyer. His comments are ridiculous, contemptuous, and untutored.”
He expressed concern that this situation occurs in the presence of the APC Deputy National Chairman, South-South, Victor Giadom, who is a major beneficiary of the sacrifices made by party faithful in Rivers, who endured dehumanising treatment, including loss of lives during elections.
Eze called on the Ganduje-led NWC not to lead the APC into a situation where the party would be seen as ‘dissident to lawful orders and court decisions,’ warning that such a narrative from a ruling party spells doom for the judiciary and the country.
He added, “The party is aware that with the court’s position as reflected in the judgement, Emeka Beke remains the Chairman of Rivers APC. Any dealings with Tony Okocha in the name of the party in Rivers State are unlawful and an invitation to anarchy.”