The All Progressives Congress, APC, Rivers State chapter, has accused the sacked Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in the state of deliberately flouting the rule of law.
In a statement issued on Friday by the state Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju, the APC claimed that Okocha and his “paymasters” are engaging in the same actions they have previously accused others of.
“Tony Okocha is trampling on the rule of law and he knows it. The very same thing both he and his paymaster have been shouting against others is what they have been dancing naked doing.
“The worry is not just that we all can see liars masquerading as democrats but it is worse that these liars are also hypocrites.”
Despite a ruling by the Rivers State High Court, Okocha has continued to present himself as the CTC Chairman of the party.
Justice Sika Aprioku, in a ruling in a suit filed by Sam Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye, Ezekiel Ubom, and others on behalf of the democratically elected APC executive in the state, reinstated the executives led by Emeka Beke as the legitimate leadership of the party in Rivers State.
The court issued a perpetual injunction against the Okocha-led caretaker committee, prohibiting them from interfering with the Beke-led executive until the end of their four-year term.
Media Talk Africa, however, reports that the Okocha-led APC has begun preparations for state, local government and ward congresses in the state, scheduled to start on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
In response to the Okocha-led APC’s preparations for the congresses, Nwauju pointed out that Okocha has filed an appeal against the court ruling that dissolved the caretaker committee in the state.
The statement further suggested that Okocha’s actions indicate either a lack of confidence in the judiciary or an overconfidence in the outcome of the appeal.
“We are aware they have filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal, yet they do not have confidence or maybe should we say they are overconfident with whatever the outcome will be or like hypocritical seers, they are now telling Nigerians that the blindfold on the Lady Justice has truly been removed.
“Democracy is hinged on the rule of law. We cannot set new rules in the middle of the game.”
Nwauju reflected on the party’s actions in 2018, when it defied a court order, saying, “This same APC in Rivers in 2018, went ahead against the order of the court to conduct a Congress and the consequences became fatal in 2019 when a party with government at the centre could not field candidates at all levels in the state for the first time in the history of democracy in Nigeria.
“Good students of history choose to learn from the past rather than allow history to repeat itself.”
Nwauju stated that participating in the congress planned by Okocha ”will amount to spitting on the judgement of Justice Sika Aprioku.”
