The Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to recongnise Omiete Efrebo as the party’s acting chairman in line with the court order to that effect.
It also expressed its angst with the decision to recognise the suspended Emeka Beke as the state’s party chairman at Monday’s NWC’s meeting with state chairmen, and denied Efrebo rights of attendance.
The state chapter of the party had suspended Beke and Ifeanyichukwu Azubuike following which a court of competent jurisdiction ordered that the duo should stop parading themselves as the chairman and legal adviser respectively.
A Rivers State High Court had, following a motion exparte by Efrebo, granted an interim injunction “restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants (Beke and Azubuike) from parading themselves as Chairman and Legal Adviser respectively of the All Progressives Congress, Rivers State Chapter, or from taking any action inconsistent with their suspension as the Chairman and Legal Adviser of the Rivers State Chapter of the 3rd Defendant(APC) pending the ratification or otherwise of the position put forward by the Claimants before the 3rd Defendant for its consideration, pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.”
The originating summons was filed 13-02-2023 before Justice D.G Kio.
But the APC, in appealing the order, asked the Court of Appeal (Port Harcourt Division) for a withdrawal, following which the court granted the prayer thus: “The appeal having been withdrawn is hereby dismissed. Appeal number deleted from the cause list.”
With the above valid court decisions which recognized him as the acting party chairman, Efrebo was at the party’s national secretariat for the Monday NWC meeting with state chairmen, but turned back.
Instead, Beke was recognised, a development the acting state chair of the party frowned at while speaking to journalists Tuesday in Abuja.
He said: “I was at the national party secretariat yesterday for the meeting called by our national chairman but I was turned back even when I told the national secretary. I became helpless because I was alone and there was nothing I could do.
“With all the court order stopping Beke and Azubuike from parading themselves as chairman and legal adviser respectively, I was shocked the party would allow him into the meeting and refused me. This is somebody who was suspended for anti-party activities during the election. I want to plead with our party to obey court order and recognise me in my capacity as the acting chairman as Rivers APC.”
