Rivers APC: Okocha criticizes sack as CTC chair by court, vows to appeal

The Chairman of the now-dismissed Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress successful Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has criticized the caller tribunal judgement that dismissed the seven-man Caretaker Committee of the party.
A Rivers State High Court successful Port Harcourt connected Monday dismissed the seven-member Caretaker Committee of the APC successful the state, led by Okocha, which was appointed by the National Working Committee of the party.

Justice Sika Aprioku, successful a ruling successful a suit filed by Sam Sam Etetegwung, Banarth Ezemoye, Ezekiel Ubom, and others connected behalf of the democratically elected APC enforcement successful the state, reinstated the enforcement led by Emeka Beke arsenic the morganatic enactment of the enactment successful Rivers State.

The tribunal issued a perpetual injunction against the Okocha-led caretaker committee, prohibiting them from interfering with the Beke-led enforcement until the extremity of their four-year term.

Speaking to newsmen successful absorption to the ruling successful Port Harcourt connected Monday, Okocha expressed dissatisfaction with Justice Aprioku’s handling of the case, contempt petitions alleging the judge’s bias and his refusal to recuse himself from the case.

He said Justice Aprioku acknowledged that a petition had been written against him successful unfastened court, adding that the assembly to the Caretaker Committee showed the justice an acknowledged transcript of the petition against him.

Okocha said, “It’s not a astonishment for america that the justice took that voyage, the voyage to perdition. In instrumentality and what we cognize astir the judiciary, erstwhile a lawsuit of bias is raised against a proceedings justice earlier the substance commences, what the proceedings justice does is to recuse himself from the matter.

“In different words, helium could person said, I lavation my hands disconnected conscionable similar Pontius Pilate washed his hands disconnected connected the substance that acrophobic Jesus Christ.

“Because we had alleged that helium was biased and helium didn’t adjacent fell it, and superintend arsenic though helium didn’t spot our petition.

“In court, the Secretary of the party, Chief Eric Nwibani, was spotted by the justice and asked to basal up and helium stood up.

“And the justice successful an unfastened tribunal told him you radical went and wrote a petition against me. You radical should cognize that I americium quality o.

“He told the enactment caput successful court, successful an unfastened court, that we wrote a petition against him.

“In different words, helium had acknowledged that determination was a petition against him, that helium shouldn’t effort the matter, it was already sided.

“And successful the people of the proceedings, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria who represented the party, besides showed to him an acknowledged transcript of the petition that was written against him.

“And helium continued. He said helium wasn’t going to respect it.

“Don’t forget, In my property briefing successful Abuja, I said that Justice Sika Aprioku was contracted for a hatchet occupation against the PDP. Have you radical forgotten that I said so?

“So, are we not justified successful what we said initially? What I don’t bash successful beingness is that I don’t cognize however to blackmail. When I accidental a happening astir a peculiar person, I person reasons to accidental it, and I person the facts and figures to buttress immoderate I say.”

He claimed immoderate persons had met with the justice down closed doors, and agreed with him to “deliver a judgement that volition embarrass the enactment astatine the nationalist level.”

Okocha asserted that the APC National had provided ineligible practice to show that the party’s constitution permits the National Executive Committee to delegate authorization to the National Working Committee, which executed the dissolution of the Emeka Beke-led executives for alleged anti-party activities.

He said, “The lawsuit was that immoderate persons alleged that they were illegally removed from offices and that the National Working Committee has nary powers to bash so.

“And the enactment sent a ineligible practice to accidental look, there’s a conception of the law, the constitution that says NEC due to the fact that they besides hold that it’s lone NEC (National Executive Committee) of a enactment that tin bash so.

“That determination is simply a conception that says NEC tin ceed her powers to the National Working Committee, due to the fact that NEC does not beryllium regularly. It is the National Working Committee that is progressive successful the day-to-day moving of the party.

“And truthful due to the fact that NEC does not beryllium regularly, that NEC utilized her powers to the National Working Committee to guarantee that the enactment is creaseless sailing successful each the states.

“It was the National Working Committee who, looking astatine the petitions, of the judgement of the tribunal that proved that Emeka Beke, Sam Etedegwe and others that went to tribunal to situation them were really progressive successful anti-party activities.”

“So the enactment successful their contented decided to dissolve an exco that has been proven to person been anti-party successful their activities. That’s however we emerged.”

He referred to erstwhile Supreme Court rulings which ruled that the tribunal should not interfere with the interior affairs of governmental parties.

Okocha, however, vowed to entreaty the lawsuit saying, “This is simply a tribunal of archetypal instance. This substance whitethorn question to the Supreme Court. So I privation to accidental to you members of the 4th property of the realm, beryllium calm, don’t beryllium successful a hurry, don’t beryllium excessively judgmental.

“Be remainder assured that we are up and astir and we’re adjacent to the task.”

The sacked CTC Chairman alleged that determination were attempts to bribe him, which helium refused and referred to the law.

Speaking further, helium dismissed the lawsuit filed by Beke and others arsenic academic, noting that the assignment successful question had expired and a caller assignment had already been made.

“What is much to accidental to you gentlemen of the press, is the information that the substance successful tribunal successful which the justice had gone up to bash what helium did, to warrant the wealth that helium was fixed had go academic.

“Those who went to court, went to tribunal to contention my appointment. We person passed that. Have I not fixed you different missive of my reappointment?

“So, they should spell backmost and reason that one. That different 1 is already academic, it’s already stale. Is it not correct? I person a caller assignment letter.

“So we volition situation immoderate they person done astatine the Court of Appeal. This is simply a tribunal of archetypal instance. Thereafter, they oregon america volition spell backmost to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court volition decide.” He added.

Okocha accused the authorities authorities of manipulating the result of the judgement.

He further urged APC members successful Rivers State to stay calm and resolute.

Rivers APC: Okocha criticizes sack arsenic CTC seat by court, vows to appeal