Since the Supreme Court barred the All Progressives Congress, or APC, from participating in the state’s 2019 general election in 2018, the party has been embroiled in a crisis. Since then, the party has struggled with one issue after another and has not entirely recovered.
The spokesperson for the Tony Okocha-led party faction, Mr. Chibuike Ikenga, talks exclusively with reporters about how it all started, including the part played by former Governor Chibuike Amaechi, the likelihood that Governor Sim Fubara will return to the Bricks House in 2027, and the deteriorating relationship between Nyesom Wike, the FCT Minister, and Peter Odili. Samples!
Can you share a little background on how the crisis in the APC started in Rivers State?
These issues have plagued APC for a while. I am an APC foundation member. We began doing this in 2012. So far, I’ve been here. I am the party’s publicity secretary. Therefore, it wasn’t without effort. The APC got off to a great start, but because of irreconcilable disagreements between the leaders—the governor at the time, Rotimi Amaechi—and a few dissidents, the party’s fortunes were mismanaged by the leadership at the time. Because of this, the party was weakened and was unable to win elections. Prior to the president’s victory in Rivers State in 2023, the APC had a history of losing elections. That was the start of the crisis.
Why is there no peace in sight in Rivers APC and can the two factions ever come together to form a formidable force?
The APC is not divided. The party is in charge. Since the party’s constitution stipulates that the National Executive Committee, or NEC, makes decisions about how the party is run and occasionally transfers authority to the National Working Committee, or NWC, the national leadership of the party decided it would be wise to dissolve any individuals who had lost their positions due to anti-party sentiment and egregious incompetence, which also hurt the party’s fortunes.
As mandated by law, the National Executive Committee in this instance did transfer its authority to the National Working Committee in order to disband the State Working Committee. The national executive committee meeting minutes are available. INEC was present. I am aware that the court has made a decision because they exercised their authority to dissolve the contentious EXCO and establish a caretaker committee with specific guidelines. A Supreme Court ruling states that judges are not allowed to become involved in political parties’ internal matters. Therefore, any ruling that is not connected to that Supreme Court ruling is void.
As I already stated, Rivers APC does not have any factions. However, there are some irate folks. They are upset, so you interpret it as factionalization. That isn’t accurate. As I mentioned before, certain individuals who had been in charge of the party’s structures from the beginning ran for office at all levels of government, including the national and local ones, and were unable to secure power. Furthermore, politics is said to be dynamic.
Many things have happened, you know. A few new competitors have emerged. There has been realignment and alignment, and some persons have left the party. Over time, some people have discovered that some of the people they hold in high regard are actually paper or feather weights. People are starting to realign, and then events are progressing to the point where some powerful individuals are starting to seize control of the party’s structure. Because of this, if they lose that power battle, they now usually side with the governor [Fubara] to try to utilize the courts to stop the APC’s actions, but this is simply a short-term setback. One in rivers is APC.
Do you by any means suspect that former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi has a role to play in Rivers APC crisis despite his silence?
Of course, we are aware of everyone’s proper place. He is part of the group that is collaborating with Atiku to overthrow the president. We’re from Rivers. We are aware of everything. We are aware of ourselves. Rotimi enters River State covertly, holds meetings at night, and we hear glimpses of them; he always has Sim Fubara with him, and all of his fans. Rotimi Amaechi’s associate Emeka Beke is alleged to be a functional chairman of the party, which does not exist.
Can you elaborate on your issues with Rotimi Amaechi and why can’t Ganduje bring the APC leader onboard?
In his [Amaechi] local government, I was the party’s head. Even though I dislike talking about Amaechi, I will occasionally do so. For someone like myself, who sacrificed everything for the APC’s triumph, Amaechi himself is aware. He bears a greater portion of the responsibility for the APC’s success in Rivers. I firmly believe that he mishandled the assistance he received. I firmly believe that he mishandled the freely provided support, and I am certain that he is aware of this.
You know, there are just too many issues. You don’t presume you know everything if you work in politics. Naturally, you have a problem if you keep thinking that ideas and power only originate from the top down without also understanding that ideas can originate from the bottom up. Now, when you also think you know everything, no one can challenge you because you think your words are definitive and no one can say anything or offer advice. This is a big issue for a political party.
As you can see, you win some and lose some. Compromises here and there, you know. Political parties are not joined by people becauseBecause I adored Amaechi’s face, I chose not to join APC. I joined the party with him at the time because I thought that if we helped him win, I would at least be able to help my community grow, draw in projects and services for my people, and grow myself. Not because I’m that infatuated with him. Yes, love may have grown between us as a result of our connection, but interest is what matters most. We can therefore part ways whenever our shared interest is no longer viable.
I informed him, “I’m at this party because of you, just so you know,” to which he replied, “I can remember, you can ask anybody.” I declared that I would quit as soon as my interests were no longer safeguarded. I repeatedly informed him that the state trembled when I left from the leadership six months prior to the presidential election, as it became clear that my interests were no longer safeguarded. He didn’t call me after I quit.
Returning to our point, the reason is that many of them are in a major quagmire because they have lost the party’s hold. Other than joining forces with Governor Fubara to see how they might utilize the Rivers High Court to halt our actions, they are at a loss on what to do. But keep in mind that the Rivers High Court is only subordinate to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.
Is there evidence linking the Emeka Beke-led APC faction to anti-party activities during the 2023 election to warrant the NWC sacking them?
As one of the party’s leaders, I have been there from the beginning—yes, from the very beginning. When it was decided that they should back Atiku, I was present. Instead of voting for Tinubu, they ought to back Atiku. That wasn’t anti-party, was it? It was for this reason they were removed, and they were factionalized.
Did the Tony Okocha’s faction working with the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike not commit anti-party too?
We work with the FCT minister. Is President Tinubu not working with Wike? Did he not appoint him as a minister? He is also leading the APC administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda. Wike does not have to help the APC grow in Rivers. He is not an APC member, but whether we like it or not, he is an APC minister and is leading the party’s policies and programs.
Why can’t the Okocha’s faction of the APC you belong to, obey the Rivers High Court ruling nullifying the appointment of the Caretaker Committee by Ganduje, as well as your state congress?
It is a purchased judgment and has no bearing on what the higher courts say. The River State High Court is the source of them. Can that, then, take precedence over the Court of Appeal’s ruling? Can it overrule the Supreme Court’s ruling? We got a ruling from the Court of Appeal that says we may proceed with our congress. We want to know why the state high court has the authority to overrule the lower courts. It lacks the abilities. The Rivers State High Court, especially some of those judges, are being quite political. A Court of Appeal ruling that is currently in effect provided us a clear bill to proceed with our congresses. Furthermore, I informed you that the Supreme Court has a ruling that prohibits courts from meddling in political parties’ internal issues. That is the ruling of the Supreme Court.
What are the chances of the Rivers APC come 2027?
I can guarantee you that the APC will win the election in 2027 since I am the party’s spokesperson in River State. I would like to draw your attention to a few points.
First of all, as you are aware, the PDP is wildly fragmented from the federal level to the state level. However, there is no division within the APC. The only thing going on in Rivers State is that some people who have lost their positions of authority—such as Rotimi Amaechi and others who have attempted to run for national, state, and local elections but failed—feel as though they no longer have the party’s structures, so they have chosen to start trouble.
What are the chances of Governor Fubara returning to power in 2027?
Well, firstly, you are saying that he may be moving to another party. I know that he is a member of the PDP. He hasn’t moved to another party. And in the PDP that I know in Nigeria and in Rivers State, the FCT minister and former governor, Wike is in absolute control of the structures of the party, with his team. He’s the leader, and you know they produced a Governor who is a civil servant. That’s without diminishing his [Fubara] status as governor of Rivers State. He’s my personal friend. And you know, he hasn’t been here before. There are people who have confidence in him, and then try to push him, and then try to develop him, try to lead him on, and then make him governor. He has broken the relationship. That relationship has completely gone southwards. But if he can do anything to rescue that relationship, then he has a chance. He has a chance to rescue the relationship with his benefactors, particularly as led by the FCT Minister and other leaders of his party.
But if that is not done between now and in the next three months, it will be too hot for him to see a leeway to retain the governorship. But alignments are still going on, very seriously. No, it’s not only about Fubara and Wike. This is a team thing. The disagreement is within the team. You know, the governor is accused of abandoning those who brought him to power and taking along those who fought him not to come to power. And you know, it’s really very painful when people who fought for him to be governor are seeing the food they have cooked, the pot of soup, he now took it and instead is dilly-dallying and dining with those who were opposed to it. It’s very painful, and it’s very difficult for reconciliation to come. But be that as it may, I believe that everything is possible. But like I said, if he’s able to have reconciliation with his team, the team that brought him into power, I think that will be it. But we as APC, we are praying that the relationship continues to deteriorate, which will grant us an advantage, so we can take over the reins of government in Rivers, and then the governor will now lead opposition in Rivers.
What happens if Wike decides to sponsor another candidate for the governorship in 2027, will the Okocha’s faction back the minister’s candidate, or will you field your own candidate?
Definitely, I believe that the FCT minister will bring his candidate. We’ll bring our own candidate in APC and then we go to the battlefield. How can we back a candidate in PDP? Whoever wins will take over, we have an advantage, because the governor, if he doesn’t get the ticket, which is unlikely, it’s unlikely that he will get the ticket. Then he’ll go ahead and do anti-party. He’ll work against the party, the PDP, then it would be advantageous for us. A lot of permutations are going on.
What is the fate of the Martins Amaewhule-led 26 lawmakers after they decamped to the APC?
Martins Amaewhule and the 26 others did not decamp to our party. They’re PDP members. They signaled interest in joining our party. They have not. They have not registered as members of our party. Their names are not found in our party register, and they didn’t go to their wards to go and register. So they are not members of our party. Amaewhule and the others did not participate in APC congress but were part of the PDP’s last Congress. They are not our members and more so, Right Hon. Martin Amaewhule and the 26 others are the authentic members of the State Assembly recognised by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.
In recognition of that, the Court of Appeal ordered that the Rivers State 2024 appropriation bill be represented to the House recognised by law and headed by Martin Amaewhule. There was no time we received them into the APC. There was nothing of that nature. They should prove it.
How would peace return to the Rivers House of Assembly?
The best thing that will bring peace to the Rivers State House of Assembly is that all the factions, let all the groups disagreeing or belligerent, obey the rule of law. Let everybody be equal before the law…when there’s disagreement between arms of government, it is the responsibility of the judiciary to intervene and interpret the Constitution to ensure equilibrium.
And in this case, anybody can get up and say anything. But once disagreement is there, as it is in Rivers State House of Assembly, a disagreement between the executive and the executive, and then the only habitat is the judiciary. And the judiciary had made consequential pronouncements that the executive should obey but the executive has continued to disobey with impunity. So if everyone, every group, obeys the rule of law, then this matter will be as good as over and then the governance of the state will be seamless. Disobedience to rule of law is an issue.
Who would you blame for the deteriorating relationship between ex-Governors Nyesom Wike and Peter Odili?
Okay, let me tell you, Dr. Peter Odili was reckless. And we are very disappointed. He was very highly rated as a very intelligent man, very brilliant, and a man who understands when to take step forward and when to take step backwards.
Unfortunately, I don’t know whether for pecuniary seasons, because the governor is supporting his university, which Wike did support immeasurably. So I don’t know what led to that. Former Governor Peter Odili has always been respected in Rivers States, as particularly from, I’m an Ikwerre man. People see him as the one who helped to support Amaechi to gain the ticket. For the first time, an Ikwerre man became governor. Even when Amaechi had the K-leg thing that was imposed by Obasanjo, Odili still brought Amaechi’s cousin, Celestine Omeha. So we had always seen him from that standpoint. But to say, for Dr. Peter Odili, I listened to him say that Governor Fubara stopped Wike from pocketing River State… It was the same Wike he was praising days ago, because Wike built a house for him, supported his private university with government funds of N500 or N1 billion every year, then he was singing and clapping for Wike, the former governor.
So today, because Wike has a challenge with his successor, Odili had gone in to try to see how he can impugn on integrity of Wike. So Odili is at fault. An elder should behave like an elder, at least Odili, a man, ought to have respected himself. Even if he had anything he needed to tell Wike that he didn’t like, he should have called him privately, or written him a personal letter and sent to him privately. So for him to go full blast against Wike in the media, Wike was equally prepared to return fire for fire and he did that.
So Dr. Odili should be blamed for his reckless and careless utterances. For every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. So, if you come to the public today and say that ‘Chibuike Ikenda is a nonentity. He’s an idiot.’ I’ll come, and when I respond, I’ll say, You’re a mad person. You’re not even worth being alive. So that’s what it is. Age doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what his age is. There’s no age in politics. We don’t run a gerontocracy. It’s only in the family that we talk about gerontocracy, but it doesn’t happen in the larger political realm. We don’t run politics, leadership based on age.
What is the way forward for the APC and how can the party overcome its challenges ahead of the 2027 election?
APC is chatting the way forward. If you recall, our National Chairman and National Working Committee came to the inauguration of the newly elected executive members of the party, and wherein he said that we just won Edo state and the next in the South-South is Rivers. I’m sure that’s what irked the governor before they went into trying to procure that court judgment to nullify what we have done. The national chairman said we will ‘capture’ Rivers and it was enough to make the governor angry, but the governor and his team’s response was to use the court to see to what extent they can nullify, but that’s not to say that that’s a serious matter. We have already gone to the Court of Appeal for it to be set aside, and then we go to the Supreme Court and validate it, so that’s it. So the way out is to let everyone obey the rule of law. Respect boundaries.
