..They are members of APC, Beke

…Lawmakers never defected, Okocha

By Daniel Abia

The Federal High Court ruling on Friday on the status of the embattled 26 members of the Rivers state House of Assembly and the beleaguered former Speaker, Rt. Hon Martins Amaewhule, has further deepened the differences between the caretaker committee chairman, CTC, Chief Tony Okocha led faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC and that of Chief Emeka Beke.

Recall that the federal High Court ruled that the case brought before it by the Action Peoples Party, APP on the defected lawmakers was a pre-election matter which was still pending in the state High Court.

Emeka Beke on Saturday in a press statement maintained that “it is obvious, evident, and on records that in several fora, the said Martin Amaewhule and others publicly defected from the PDP to the APC and they were hosted to a reception ceremony by the said Tony Okocha who claimed to be the then CTC Chairman of Rivers State APC.

“Therefore, they cannot make a U-turn in the midnight and yet be celebrated by the same Tony Okocha, who they are now denying. What a shame”.

Beke declared that all the judgments referred to by the Okocha faction of the APC have not been dealt with on the merit of the defection and the declaration of their seats vacant by the then Speaker, Rt Hon Edison Ehie. “And nothing shall by any means restore their status as members of the Rivers State House of Assembly. Unless the court decides otherwise.

“It is worrisome to note that even the faction of the Rivers State PDP led by (Nyesom) Wike has not issued any statement concerning the said much celebrated judgment by the said Tony Okocha and his co-travelers, who are on a fishy expedition, which has certainly led them to political extinction.

“Even though we are aware of the hands of Esau (Wike) and the voice of Jacob (Tony), which is the script Tony Okocha is playing, we are still mindful and totally aligned ourselves to the statement made by the governor of Bauchi State, HE Bala Mohamed, wherein, he referred to Wike as a member of PDP and APC. Yet the said Wike is not ashamed of that public negative abuse”, he said.

Responding to the argument that the troubled lawmakers had actually defected and were graciously received by the CTC Chairman, Okocha said the reception was a mere gimmick.

He said in a statement in Port Harcourt Saturday that “you hear that they (lawmakers) flaunted APC flag and honoured my invitation to be Guests to APC Caretaker committee, organized Thanksgiving at the polo club. If they were wise and knowledgeable, they would have stumbled on the word “gimmick”. 

“We are masters in the game. See where and how the well-orchestrated “political gimmick” confused the neophytes and they are crying wolves! What is the proof of membership of Party or an organization? Affidavit is not one source to prove membership. Flaunting of flag of a different party on the floor of anywhere (in this case, the hallowed chamber of the RSHA) is unknown to law as indicating that the one has defected. What is the concrete proof?” 

Okocha noted that for the Rivers state Governor, Siminalayi Fubara to have lose the 27 lawmakers and 23 council chairmen in one fell swoop marks a dead political end, wondering if the likes of Dr. Abiye Sekibo, former Governor Celestine Omehia and former deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Austin Opara were still members of PDP, Rivers state

According to him, “Rt. Hon. Martin Chike Amaewhule is the incontrovertible Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly. The other 26 Distinguished House members are untouchable! Anyone averse to this, can go hug a wet transformer”.