The National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Victor Giadom, has disowned party members claiming to be candidates for the upcoming Rivers State local government elections scheduled for October 5th, 2024.
The Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, had on Wednesday, presented flags to twenty-one chairmanship candidates for the local government council elections.
This was amid claims from factional chairman of the APC in the state, Tony Okocha, that the party will not participate in the upcoming elections.
In reaction, Giadom reaffirmed that the APC will not participate in what he described as a “sham” election, a decision prompted by a substitutive court judgment.
He urged the public to disregard anyone claiming to be APC candidates.
“Our party is a law abiding party. And as a law abiding party, we will always keep to the rules. In entire process of the local government election in Rives State is in conflict with the laws of the land.
“I’m sure you know that there is a local government law in Rivers State.
“Law that its responsibility is to determine the processes, how the local government election will be conducted in Rivers State.
“There have been feogal abuse of that law. That is unacceptable. For instance, I hear that some people in Rivers State are parading themselves to have been candidates of the All Progressives Congress.
“Where were they screened. Where was the programme determined the process of the election advertised.
“There were forms purchased by those candidates? Where is the receipt of purchase of the forms and who screened them.?
“So, ignore whoever parades himself to be contesting the so called election in Rivers State. They are not members of the All Progressives Congress and we are not aware that they are conducting election.”
The National Vice Chairman also dismissed reports of factionalism within the APC in Rivers State, asserting that the national leadership only recognizes Okocha.
He cited provisions in the party’s constitution that prevent courts from interfering in the activities of political parties while allowing them to appoint individuals to manage party affairs.
Giadom stated that the APC is not afraid to contest elections conducted within the law and called on Rivers residents to refrain from participating in Saturday’s local government poll, reiterating that the party will not be involved.
“I am here before you this morning to clarity some lingering issues that have bordered me for about few weeks now.
“Yesterday, I was listening to an interview on Channels, when the chairman of the party in Rivers State was said to be a factional chairman of APC.
“It’s very painful to us at the national headquarters to hear that a Caretaker Committee that was constituted by the National Working Committee is seen to be factional among the press.
“Please, I will like to plead with the press to note that article 13 (4) of the constitution of the All Progressives Congress gives the national Working Committee, the power to set up committees to create panels, appoint committee for the betterment of the party.
“And setting up a caretaker committee in Rivers State falls within that power. And we have not just exercised that power in Rivers State alone, we had been exercising that power, and we will continue to exercise that power.
“So, please not that the leadership of the party in Rivers State is not in dispute. There is just one man who is the Chairman Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, along with another six-man committee. And that person is Chief Tony Okocha.”
Also speaking, Tony Okocha, outlined the conditions set by the court in its judgment, emphasizing that these reasons prevent the APC from participating in the local government elections.
Okocha advised Rivers people not to succumb to illegalities.
