Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a former National Publicity Secretary of the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), has urged the Ganduje-led National Working Committee (NWC) to respect a recent court judgment regarding the leadership crisis in Rivers State.
The situation arose when the Emeka Beke-led State Working Committee (SWC) in Rivers State was removed by APC’s National Working Committee. This decision came amid suspicions of Beke’s loyalty to Chibuike Amaechi, the former Transportation Minister. On the other hand, the party installed Tony Okocha, a loyalist of Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, as the caretaker committee chairman.
Beke and his team, who were democratically elected to lead the state’s APC for four years, decided to take legal action to challenge their removal. The court ruled in favor of Beke and his team, stating that the APC acted beyond its powers by dissolving the state working committee without sufficient reason or evidence of wrongdoing.
The court judgment reinstated Beke and his SWC team to their positions, a decision that did not sit well with some members of the APC’s leadership. Festus Fuanters, the party’s Deputy National Secretary, rejected the court’s decision, stating in a press briefing that the judgment “is not binding on the Party (APC).” Fuanters maintained that the party still recognized the caretaker committee led by Tony Okocha.
In response to Fuanters’ remarks, Eze criticized the Ganduje-led NWC for disregarding the court’s decision. According to Eze, the Deputy National Secretary’s dismissal of the judgment shows a disregard for democracy and the rule of law. He accused the APC leadership of undermining democratic institutions, noting that their actions could ultimately harm the party and the judiciary system in Nigeria.
Eze also expressed disappointment in Fuanters, claiming that his reaction to the judgment shows an alarming lack of understanding of legal matters. He remarked that the Deputy National Secretary “presented himself as having better legal knowledge than the court,” which casts doubt on his legal qualifications.
Eze further accused the leadership of the APC of being influenced by external forces, specifically mentioning that some members of the NWC had “sold their souls to Wike for money.” He claimed that the majority of the NWC members, particularly key figures like the Chairman, Publicity Secretary, and Legal Adviser, refused to attend the media briefing because they were aware of the legal and ethical implications of ignoring the court ruling.
In his statement, Eze urged the APC leadership to comply with the court’s decision and allow Emeka Beke and his team to complete their term in office. He warned that failing to respect the court’s ruling could lead to a crisis within the party, potentially shaking its foundation and damaging its credibility as a ruling party.
Eze’s message to the Ganduje-led NWC was clear: “Respect the court ruling, save APC before it’s too late.”
