The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused governor, Nyesom Wike, and a former senator representing Rivers South-East in the national assembly, Magnus Abe, of plotting to destabilise the party in the state.
The APC spokesman Rivers, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, who disclosed this in a statement to Ripples Nigeria on Wednesday, said the party leadership had uncovered plots by Wike, Abe and some external collaborators to manipulate the judiciary by filing spurious cases in court to destabilise the party in the state.
According to him, the duo had perfected plans to undermine the stability of the party before the courts proceed on break.
The spokesman said: “We have repeatedly accused Governor Nyesom Wike who has been dubbed ‘Father Christmas’ of meddling in the internal affairs of the APC, using Senator Abe as a tool.
“During the last BoT meeting of the PDP, senior members of the opposition blamed the Rivers State Governor for engaging in ignoble acts which have greatly resulted in the destabilization of the PDP.
“Similarly, the mass media is awash with series of publications alleging that in an attempt to remove a fellow Rivers man from the exalted position of National Chairman of the PDP, Governor Wike was ready to offer N50 million to each principal member of the party’s NWC so they could resign in order to force the establishment of a caretaker committee on the party.
“These events, coupled with the governor’s remarks that he is unfairly being described as ‘Father Christmas’ by his own party proved the point that we have persistently made.
“We have consistently maintained that Governor Wike is responsible for the rascality displayed by some erring members of our great party who have apparently sold their souls to the devil.
“We have reportedly laid claim to the fact that officials of the Rivers State government led by Governor Wike have been using these persons whose membership of the party is in doubt to file a litany of court cases.
“Above all, what is playing out within the PDP has proved that the Rivers Governor has been using Rivers money, belonging to Rivers people, to bribe all manner of people, including PDP members at the National Secretariat, corrupt judges, electoral officials, and hungry politicians within our ranks in an effort to destabilize the system and damage the integrity of the Rivers judiciary.
“As we speak, we have come upon credible information that allies of Governor Wike and Senator Magnus Abe have lined up new cases that are being filed by different persons at this time.
“We have also learnt that some members of a judicial ring that has been used repeatedly in the past to deliver objectionable decisions are to be used as vacation judges.
“The plan is to secure injunctions by any means possible; injunctions intended to halt the APC, which by the grace of God, and the leadership of Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, is transforming into the mainstream party of the Rivers people.
“We have decided to bring the evil plots that are being hatched to the notice of the general public. We urge Rivers people to prevail upon the Governor to go slow on his agenda to destabilize democratic structures, including his own political platform, using Rivers money to achieve such Machiavellian objectives.”
However, a former member of the State House of Assembly and an ally of Senator Abe, Golden Chioma said, “To be fair to you, Ogbonna Nwuke is very aware that he is lying.
“Senator Magnus Abe in well-orchestrated public events had told everybody that he is not interested in legal solutions. Rather, he would exploit a political solution to the crisis in the party.
“It is also a known fact that the Senator Abe group would bend over backwards to show good faith in reconciling the party.
“We have done everything humanly possible for us to reconcile, but the other side is bent on acquisition or conquest, but peace.
“It is unfair to human understanding. Every man was born with inalienable rights to express himself or to seek justice.
“Even if it is your slave, there is a way you run your slave, he will start to object. Even when you own a bull and you use it to plough your field, when you over plough with the bull, it will stop.”
