The planned congresses in the local wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State may renew the face-off between Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Magnus Abe.
Amaechi, a former governor and leader of the party in Southsouth zone, had at a reception in Abuja after his inauguration as minister, hinted that the APC national leadership would soon organise congresses in the Southsouth state.
But Abe, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the Amaechi’s administration, described the minister’s information on the congresses as unacceptable.
He spoke when he hosted members of the APC Visionary Media Team at his Port Harcourt home at the weekend.
In an online statement yesterday, Amaechi’s media office wondered why Abe was showing early signs of apprehension for the forthcoming congresses of APC in Rivers.
The media office said: “Rt. Hon. Amaechi announced to his teeming supporters during the reception in Abuja that followed his inauguration as a second-term minister that they (the supporters) should begin to prepare for congresses, as part of rebuilding and repositioning the APC in Rivers State.
“Rt. Hon. Amaechi expressed surprise that Senator Abe could resort to unguarded language to express his indisposition and fear for congresses, even when he (Amaechi) did not give date and time of congresses to his supporters.
“The transportation minister did not give his supporters any date and time for the congresses, being the responsibility of the national secretariat of APC.
“Senator Abe has no reason to be afraid of congresses. He should tell his supporters to also prepare for congresses, since he says he is very popular. A popular politician should be very happy anytime congresses are on the table.”
The office also said that the transportation minister declined to respond to sundry comments made by Abe, declaring that such remarks were obvious signs of frustration on the former senator’s part.
Addressing his supporters, Abe noted that Amaechi said there would be congresses in Rivers APC without cognizance to the existing judicial pronouncements on the subject matter and the need for consultation as it affects the interest of other party members.
The former senator stated that the minister, rather than concentrating on his national assignment, was creating another avenue for tension and crisis in the political structure of the APC.
According to him, similar actions affected the party in Rivers during the last general election.
He urged Amaechi to demonstrate his sincerity in rebuilding Rivers APC by consulting other members of the party and showing respect for the rights and feelings of all stakeholders.
Abe, who described himself as an advocate of internal democracy and justice within the party, pleaded with APC members in Rivers to be resolute and committed to the growth of the party in the state.
He assured his supporters that even if he was out of office, he remained committed to the development of the APC, insisting that peace, inclusiveness, progress and the commitment of all members to develop the party were needed.
Abe said: “Look at the state of our party here today in Rivers State, yet the minister for Transportation, on assumption of office, the first thing he did was to announce congresses in Rivers State and I ask myself, this was the same kind of behaviour that led the party to where it is.
“Everybody in Nigeria knows that the origin of the crisis in Rivers APC was from the congresses and how the congresses were handled.
“There are extant judicial pronouncements on the last congresses, which the party was misled to ignore and we have all kept quiet, in the hope that by keeping quiet, we will create room for resolution of some of these challenges, so that the party can move forward.”
Speaking earlier, the Director-General of Rivers APC Visionary Media Team, Robertson Jack, stated that the visit was necessitated by the need to pledge their unalloyed support to Abe’s peaceful disposition in the pursuit of internal democracy, inclusiveness, justice, and equity in Rivers APC.
Jack said that the group would play its role to ensure that APC succeeds in the next level.
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