Why Amaechi, Abe feud defies solution
The political cold war between Senator Magnus Abe and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is festering by the day and seems to have defied all known amicable solution, a development that might cause the party a fortune in Rivers State
The political cold war between Senator Magnus Abe and the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is festering by the day and seems to have defied all known amicable solution, a development that might cause the party a fortune in Rivers State and by extension the South South.
The once political soul mates (Amaechi and Abe) have suddenly become arch political enemies over an unresolved difference over who flies APC governorship ticket in the state. While Abe believes that he has all that it takes to fly the party ticket, Amaechi, a former two-term governor of the oil rich state thinks otherwise and appears to have in mind a yet to be known candidate for the position. This is the basis of the misunderstanding.
Amaechi has not endorsed any candidate to fly the party’s governorship ticket but his body language suggests that he is rooting for a candidate that will come from the riverine part of the state. The two political gladiators are not shifting ground on their conviction and believe on who is suitable for the plum job just as the irreconcilable political feud between the two prominent politicians are becoming fierce and messier.
Two factors seem to be working against the two politicians reaching a truce and finding amicable solution to the political feud which appears to have polarized the APC into two camps. One of the factors that defy solution to the lingering political crisis in APC is self-ego and superiority complex. A prominent member of the party who would not want his name mentioned put it this way: “The issue of internal democracy should be considered for peace to reign in the party. The Minister of Transportation is the leader of APC in Rivers State and as such sees himself as the demi god of the party,” he alleged.
“He dictates what happens in the party as well as determines who gets what and whoever that opposes him becomes his enemy and will be penalized. In 2015, he singlehandedly nominated Dakuku Peterside as the flag bearer of the APC against the interest of the key stakeholders of the party especially Senator Magnus Abe.
“The issue would have torn the party apart because Senator Abe thought that he is the most sellable and popular candidate that would give Wike a bloody nose in the 2015 governorship election in the state. The matter was resolved and Abe finally settled for Rivers South east senatorial district slot for the party,” he said.
He said that crisis will continue to bedevil the party until the Minister recognizes and respect the interest of other critical stakeholders in the party.
Another factor that appears to be defying solution in the party is lack of mutual trust among the critical stakeholders in the party especially Senator Abe who has not hidden his gubernatorial ambition in the state. The Senator few weeks back declared his intention to contest for the governorship election and went further to open his campaign office in Port Harcourt. The move does not go down well with Amaechi who declared out rightly that he will never support Abe to achieve his gubernatorial ambition. Pundits believes that the minister’s stand is based on the fact that he never trust Abe and is of the belief that Abe will not do his bidding when he becomes governor.
The ongoing APC congresses have resurrected the cold war between the two politicians. Hundreds of APC members that are sympathetic to Senator Abe’s course were said to have been disenfranchised during the party’s May 5th ward congress. The supporters who had bought nomination form for various positions at the ward level were not given the form and did not participate in the congress. The aggrieved supporters had invaded the Forces Avenue Secretariat of the party where properties belonging to the party were vandalized and destroyed.
Ward congress is the key factor that determines who controls the party’s machinery; those that will elect the national leadership of the party as well as who flies the party’s governorship ticket. So the fight between the two politicians over who controls the delegates at the ward congresses is understandable.
Some of Abe supporters who were disenfranchised during the ward congress expressed displeasure that the party they have labored for could not carry them along.
Ambassador Chikwe Orlu, the first Organizing Secretary of APC in Rivers State said there was no congress in his Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State. He said many APC supporters that went to the state secretariat to collect the nomination form after obtaining the teller were not given the forms.
Comrade Success Jack, another member of APC from Ahoada Local Government Area, said many of the party supporters that bought nomination were denied the opportunity to participate. Kadilo Kabari, a former Care taker Committee Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area and a strong supporter of Abe said the ward congress did not take place in any part of Ogoniland. He said that the opportunity APC would have given to the people of Ogoni to address the issue of age long marginalization had been eluded.
For Bethel Oko Jaja, a Chieftain of APC in Opopo, Ejie Oloka from Eleme and Kingsley Igbani Chuka from Okrika, they said no congress were held in their respective local government areas. The trio blamed the leaders of the party for the crisis in the party saying that the entrenchment of internal democracy is the only solution to the presence crisis in the party.
The crisis in the party has deepened further as Amaechi and Senator Abe have continued to throw tantrum on each other. The crisis has divided and polarizes the party thereby breaking it into two camps. Both political leaders have different opinion on the outcome of the congress. While Amaechi believes that the process that lead to the congress are very transparent Abe say that the congress was fraudulent as many of his supporters were disenfranchised.
Abe said that there was no ward congress in the 319 wards of the 23 local government areas in the state.
Amaechi on his part stated that the party congress was free, fair and transparent. He said that the leadership of the party opted for option A.4 for the congress blaming Abe and his supporters for the vandalizing the APC secretariat.
He said that since prominent members of the party do not believe that APC has a leader, the party opted for option A4 where every member of the party is expected to queue and vote for the candidate of his or her own choice.
The panel set up by the party to investigate the destruction of the party Secretariat indicted Abe and his supporters.
The political battle between Amaechi and Abe last week shifted to Rivers State High Court where properties belonging to the law house were vandalized and destroyed by hoodlums allegedly engaged by APC leaders from the state. Trouble started when those that were disenfranchised approached the court to stop the party from conducting the local government chairmanship congress. The presences of APC supporters in the court provoked PDP members who equally invaded the court to chase APC supporters away. In the ensuing melee, the court were vandalized and properties destroyed.
Pundits are of the opinion that if the crisis in APC continues, its chances of winning the 2019 election in the state will be very difficult.
A political analyst, John Amachree, said, “APC in Rivers State is disorganized and disjointed. The party is in a very big crisis and the crisis is deepening on a daily basis. Amaechi and Abe should come together and settle their differences,” he said.
He added, “The political war between them will not do the party any good rather it will position the party for failure and gives PDP the chances to have a smooth sail in 2019 election.”
One person that stands to benefit from the crisis in Rivers State chapter of APC is Governor Nyesom Wike. The more APC crisis deepens, the more Wike and his supporters smiles.