BY IBRAHIM BAKARE
All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State led by Dr Sokonte Davies, claim the suspended Caretaker Committee Chairman, Rt. the Hon. Igo Aguma announcement his Committee had been mandate by APC National Secretariat to shutdown what he described as factional offices of the APC as untrue.
Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke Ag. State Publicity Secretary of Sokonte Davies led Rivers APC stated that Igo Aguma faction was quoted in the media as saying that he had presented his position to the National Secretariat of the APC and secured the necessary understanding of party officials in Abuja.
He said that the purported report quoted as saying that the Caretaker Committee led by Hon. Sokonte Davies has allegedly acted in defiance of the order of NEC which had the seal of our National Leader, President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The supposed impetus allegedly granted to Hon. Igo Aguma to shutdown the State Party Secretariat by the National Caretaker Committee under the watch of Governor Buni of Yobe State is a complete hoax. There is no truth whatsoever in the claim. No decision in respect of the closure of the State Party Secretariat at 63 Port Harcourt – Aba Expressway has been reached.”
APC debunked “That the spurious claim which says that the Caretaker Committee or its members have gone to court to challenge an earlier court judgment which set aside the leadership of a previous Caretaker Committee put in place by the National Secretariat is utterly false. We are amazed that in order to hang on to a molecule of power, Hon. Igo Aguma can afford to fly so low;
“Safe for the contempt proceedings entered by Igo Aguma and his backers in a Port Harcourt High Court against the Sokonte Davies led Caretaker Committee , no member of the Caretaker Committee has defied the order of NEC. On the contrary, Hon Igo Aguma, acting in cohoot with others at large, has dragged key members of the Caretaker Committee, including Hon. Sokonte Davies and Senator Andrew Uchendu, to court after NEC summarily directed all party members to withdraw their cases from Court. Facts pertaining to the case in question can be verified.”
Davies Chaired APC recalled that the matter before the Court of Appeal was entered by Ogbobula and others, who were individually and collectively affected by the decision of the Lower Court.
“Records show that they went upstairs as soon as the State High Court ruled in favour of Hon. Igo Aguma to protect their rights. We note that the action in which we have no hands preceded the drective of NEC on pending cases before the courts. Aguma should take heed of this fact and refrain from his attempt to deceive the public;
The Statement further said that as a result of the respect for constituted authority, statutory members have not proceeded to Court to challenge Aguma’s flagrant disregard for the spirit and letters of the judgment delivered by Justice George Omereji. That Judgment directed him to act in collaboration with his colleagues in order to rebuild the party;
Aguma has been accused of behaving like a Sole Administrator and circumventing laid down rules and procedures and has been acting in complete violation of the APC Constitution. Article 14 of that instrument specifies what should happen to erring members who step out of line in total negation of the overall interest of the party.
Despite enumerated breaches, the Davies group appealed to all who are flouting the directives of the party by pursuing legal matters to desist forthwith. “Nothing good will come from the demonstration of such level of obstinacy, insubordination and disregard of the basic tenets of the APC Constitution which remains a binding force.
Accordingly, APC urged members of the public to ignore the diversionary antics, empty claims and cheap propaganda that are emanating from Igo Aguma and his co-conspirators who are determined for selfish reasons to stand in the way of their own party. They would certainly fail.
“Finally, the letter which Igo Aguma thinks he has exclusive possession of was forwarded, perhaps earlier than his to the State Party Secretariat at No. 63 Port Harcourt – Aba Expressway. We are certain he was instructed to withdraw his matter in line with the party’s directive. Rather than obey the dictates of the party, we have learnt through credible sources that Aguma is planning to file more cases. How then can he claim to be an architect of peace?
“Hon. Igo Aguma should take full responsibility for engaging in acts that are intended to derail efforts that are being made to rebuild the party. We hope that he would forgo his ambition to impose himself on others. We similarly pray he would realize that democracy strives when the rule of the silent majority as opposed to the voracious noises of a few is respected. While we wish Igo Aguma and his co-travelers well, we urge them to return to the mainstream and participate in the task of rebuilding our great Party. The days of “jaguda politics” are over.”
In related development, a former representative of Rivers South-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has said that politicians should play politics of progress and prosperity and not to focus on the physical or political death and burial of any individual.
He condemned such negative mindsets describing it as undemocratic and evil.
The Senator said: “This kind of burial without end has become shameful to those who conceive and imagine these negative thoughts.
He recalled that some politicians of Ogoni descent and their cohorts two years ago, carried out a funeral procession with his name on a coffin in Bori furtherance of their politics of hatred and bitterness.
“It got to the point where a coffin with Senator Abe was carried on life television in Bori and buried, yet Senator Abe is still here.
The purpose of our politics should not be the burial of anyone. It should be about the progress and prosperity of our nation.
I represent the truth, the truth does not die and so it can never be buried.
Real people cannot bury the truth, hirelings, with real names or pseudo names cannot bury the truth”.
He rebuffed those who indulge in such uncanny lifestyle to think positively for their own good.
“Let us focus on what is real; change is always a painful process. But change must come,” Abe admonished.