Rivers APC suspends chairman, seeks Amaechi’s probe over ‘anti-party’ activities

Some members of the Executive Council of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have suspended the Chairman of the party, Chief Emeka Beke, and two other members of the exco over alleged anti-party activities.

The members took the decision at a meeting held on Wednesday in Port-Harcourt.

Others also suspended are the state’s Legal Adviser, Iheanyichukwu Azubuike and Publicity Secretary, Darlington Nwauju.

They were also accused of gross misconduct and financial mismanagement.

The aggrieved excos were led by the state Deputy Chairman, Omiete Eferebo, while their communique was read by a state official, Chike Enyinda.

The executive members equally berated the state leader of the party and immediate past Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi for failing to lead the APC to victory since leaving office as governor in 2015.

The excos further accused Amaechi of involvement in anti-party activities, saying that the former governor before the 2023 presidential election directed members of the APC to vote for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.

According to the aggrieved executive members, this directive was what affected the chances of the party to win the state-level elections, as members continued to vote against the APC because Amaechi failed as a leader to give a counter directive during the governorship and state assembly elections.

They further stated that Amaechi, instead of being remorseful for his alleged failed leadership, openly criticized the President-elect, Bola Tinubu who is a member of the party for allegedly having a hand in the appointment of the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

The APC executive members said the actions of Amaechi who has continued to single-handedly enjoyed the state quota of the party at the national level, leaves the state chapter at a cross road even as he continues to be at variance with the incoming administration at federal level.

They, therefore, called on the national leadership to investigate the activities of the former minister in Rivers State and to take appropriate actions to reposition the party.

The aggrieved executives appointed Eferebo as the interim chairman

Chike Enyinda who read the communique was appointed the acting spokesperson, and a replacement for the state legal adviser pending the outcome of an independent investigation by a committee to be set up by the party.

The communique was signed by all 10 executive members present.