Mike Ojoobanikan
In Rivers State, the political war is not between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progresives Congress (APC). The battle is within APC, even now that the 2 March governorship election is inching closer, a development that could make Governor Wike and his sidekicks watch the whole drama with guffaw. Right now, Senator Magnus Abe, one of the gubernatorial aspirants in the Rivers chapter of APC has draw a line in the sand, threatening to take the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to Court if it should put Tonye Cole as the Governorship candidate on the ballot because of the recent ruling of the Appeal Court.
Abe said this on a live radio programme in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, declaring that APC secured a temporary reprieve at the Appeal Court to ensure that it is the party (not the individual) that contests election. In other words, he argued that the stay of execution the Appeal Court granted APC means that it is the party that “statutorily contests an election and that did not translate to mean that Tonye Cole and those produced through the Direct Primaries already voided by the state High Court should be fielded by the party.”
In the words of Abe:“The Court Appeal to grant a stay which was clear was in favour of APC. Mr Cole has his own application for a stay for himself. That order has not been granted. This is declaratory order not an executive order.People should not stretch the interpretation beyond what it is presupposes that the court does not speak English. If the Court wanted to put people’s name on the list the court would have said so. And that order would have been served on INEC.
“As it stands, the only order that be granted on INEC is that of All Progressives Congress to contest election. The substantive case of who should be the candidates that arose from either Direct or Indirect primaries of the party is yet to determined.”
“I am always ready for discussion, but it should be based on mutual respect and not from a preconceived position.The party needs to talk because there is a lot of bad blood within the factions of the party.”
The only option, according to him is for the party is to adopt the candidates who emerged from the direct primaries where he claimed “over150,000 members participated and the result is available to the party and all the constituted authorities like the INEC and the courts.”
Abe heaped the blame of the whole drama on the Minister of Transportation and Director-General of the Presidential Campaign, Rotimi Amaechi’s directive that he (Abe) should (despite that, as a foundaion member, it is his right) not be allowed to participate in Gubernatorial primaries.
Given the development, will Abe jump Aapc ship. His answer was an emphatic NO. He reacted: “I think the question is insulting because APC promised change in the way of doing things. Mr President even said those who do not agree with the way decisions in the party are made are free to go to court. This is the only party that offers you that freedom and that is why I am in it to fight that the right thing be done. No other party can offer me that freedom, except APC “.