The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is embroiled in a heated exchange with Governor Siminalayi Fubara, as accusations of judicial interference and political manipulation take center stage. Chief Tony Okocha, the embattled chairman of the Rivers APC, has alleged that Governor Fubara is meddling in the internal affairs of the party, claiming the judiciary in Rivers State operates under the governor’s influence.
Okocha voiced his grievances following last Friday’s judgment by the Rivers State High Court, which nullified the APC’s recent congresses. The presiding judge, Justice Godswill Obomanu, had criticized the APC for going ahead with the congresses despite a prior court order to maintain the status quo.
“The judiciary in Rivers State is now like a supermarket,” Okocha declared during a press briefing at his residence in Rumuigbo, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area. “The governor buys judgments as he pleases and assigns cases to suit his agenda. It’s a mockery of the rule of law.”
He further accused Governor Fubara of employing divide-and-rule tactics to destabilize the APC. “The governor is orchestrating a macabre dance in Rivers politics, using his influence to manipulate the judiciary against our party,” Okocha stated.
In a swift rebuttal, Jerry Omatsogunwa, the governor’s Special Assistant on Electronic Media, dismissed Okocha’s claims as baseless. He emphasized that Governor Fubara has no hand in the APC’s internal crises or judicial outcomes.
“You disobey a court order, and when consequences follow, you blame the governor?” Omatsogunwa questioned. “The governor controls the executive arm, not the judiciary. Is it that whenever a judgment doesn’t favor you, you resort to ethnic or political sentiments?”
Omatsogunwa urged the APC leadership to address their issues internally rather than dragging the governor into their conflicts. “If Okocha cannot manage the crisis in his party, he should resign instead of blaming an uninvolved party. Governor Fubara is focused on state matters like project commissioning and has no time for these fabrications,” he said.
Okocha also claimed that Governor Fubara is no longer a registered member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any political party. He alleged that the governor’s political standing is in limbo, stating, “If there were an election today, Fubara wouldn’t have a platform to contest because the PDP wouldn’t sponsor him.”
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The APC chairman called on Fubara to focus on his political alignment rather than interfering in APC affairs. “The bravado he’s showing against our party would be better directed at re-registering himself with the PDP,” Okocha said.
On the issue of the nullified APC congresses, Okocha expressed frustration, claiming that the congresses were planned and executed under the national secretariat’s guidance. “Forms were sold, and I purchased mine for N3 million. I campaigned across the state, only to have everything disrupted by this court judgment,” he lamented.
He criticized the party leadership for allegedly failing to anticipate legal challenges, saying, “Are you telling me our party leadership is so clueless that they’d inaugurate us without due diligence? If the National Working Committee’s visit to Rivers was publicized, an order would have been issued to stop the National Chairman from even entering Port Harcourt.”
Okocha did not spare the Rivers judiciary from criticism, alleging favoritism toward the governor in court rulings. “The National Judicial Council (NJC) often investigates judges from Rivers State. Doesn’t that speak volumes about how compromised the judiciary here has become?” he questioned.
The accusations and counter-accusations highlight the deepening divide between the Rivers APC and the state government. While Okocha remains steadfast in his belief that Governor Fubara is interfering with party affairs, the governor’s camp insists on his innocence, calling for the APC to resolve its internal disputes.