Despite court order: Loyalists pass vote of confidence in Tony Okocha-led APC caretaker committee in Rivers

…Emeka Beke, go home and rest – Ojukaye

A high court in Rivers State has said that the caretaker committee (CTC) led by Tony Okocha of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should give way and that the elected executives led by Emeka Beke should return to power.

This automatically created two executive committees that run the APC in the state, but the National Working Committee (NWC) came out to recognise the CTC.

On August 21, 2024, a sizeable crowd gathered at the CTC office on Aba Road (the other APC state secretariat is at the New GRA in the city) and soon, Okocha began to address them.

Okocha took time to reel out his profile and personality, but did not mention ‘chairman of CTC’. Instead, he mentioned his status of a chief, a Knight of St Christopher of the Anglican Church, a peace ambassador, and others. He has served in many capacities in governments including serving as chief of staff in the Government House in Port Harcourt.

He tried to show that he was not the one that lobbied to be named CTC chairman and gave the background of the birth of the CTC.

He said: “The National Working Committee (CTC) with powers from the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC went through the records, and decided that the way forward was to dissolve it’s EXCO in Rivers State after many groups went to them to argue they were the authentic ones.

“This development threw us up. We did not contest with anybody. I was not even interested. The NWC gave us initial six months, and they have now extended it to another six months. This means we will be in the saddle till December 2024.”

To show he is working, he said history was made in Abuja during the walk (in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu) where he said over 50,000 persons turned up. He called it real organic support.

On the vexed issue of local council elections in the state, Okocha, often regarded as the late Obi Wali kinsman, said the CTC is in court over the matter. “So, the much I can say is that the case is seeking to restrain the agencies that conduct elections such as the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC). I was the one that kept asking the RSIEC to conduct an election by rolling out the timetable within the 90 days stipulated by the law.”

He however, declared: “Local government election will not work.” He said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was likely not in the race, too. He made caricature of the process, saying the rest that may contest is ‘gwo gwo gwo, Ngwo’. “Do you want to be part of this?”

Read also: Rivers government is in intensive care unit – Tony Okocha on Fubara’s one year in office

LGA elections: We do not want to walk on thorns:

Beware of electoral thorns, Okocha warned, and explained why the CTC went to court. He said it was not because they did not have the power to contest but to demand that the process be transparent.

“We do not want to walk on thorns. The election, if allowed to hold, will not represent our votes,” he said.

He seemed to turn all eyes when he said: “Head hunter (Knife carrier) does not allow knife to pass at his back. We have done these things many times before.”

He alluded that decisions about the elections were taken behind the APC, saying: “If you take decision behind a great man, you will have to take it again. Until the processes are in tandem with the law, and we are carried along, we will not agree. I cannot expose you to a process that will end in nothing. Many of you will sell landed and other assets to contest.”

He said two APC excos showed up in court in the case seeking to stop the election (the Emeka Beke exco and the CTC exco), but said August 29, 2024, would decide a of things.

On the court verdict returning Beke-led exco, Okocha called it the noise around. He said: “We are law-abiding people. The court awarded Emeka Beke group to be the authentic exco. We have filed appeal and filed for a stay of execution.

“The NWC got worried and held a meeting where they said they recognise Tony Okocha and the CTC. The decision is everywhere. The party has spoken, the party is supreme. You members should not even bat an eyelid

“Thank God we had a man (Nyesom Wike) who is not even a member of our party but who said, no, I won’t allow your structure to fall.

“Bekee was duly suspended from the APC. So, where does their committee hold hand? They are just working with the state government.

Read also: APC national working committee backs Tony Okocha, orders him to conduct congresses

“Our group is intact and growing. Rivers State is the only state in the south-south where BAT (Tinubu) won outright whereas other states in the zone were struggling to get 25percent. We will triple the result in 2027. We don’t rent crowds. This event today is expanded stakeholders meeting, not a general meeting. Go to your wards to hold meetings.”

In his own contribution, Ojukaye Amachree, one time chairman of the APC in the state, said dissolving an Exco and appointing CTC was not new. “I was chairman. They dissolved us and appointed Caretaker, I went home. Let Emeka Bekee go home and stop this game. It won’t work.”

Vote of confidence:

Prominent leaders in the APC such as Worgu Boms, attended the meeting but some other bigwigs allegedly sent support and their apologies. Magnus Abe, Innocent Barikor, and others obtained excuses, saying they travelled abroad.

A prominent member and senator, Wilson Ake, talked with huge motivation. He ended up by rallying for a vote of confidence in how Okocha had piloted the affairs of the party.