By Bisi OLANIYI, Port Harcourt

The major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 20 wards of Port Harcourt City council area (PHALGA) of Rivers State have accused Governor Nyesom Wike of desperately lobbying to join the APC, since the former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not allowing him (Wike) to take over the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

They also disowned ‘the foot-soldier’ of Wike in APC, Igo Aguma, a two-term member of the House of Representatives, who hails from Ward 2 of PHALGA, accusing him of being a mole and a traitor, who had been pursuing personal interest.

The PHALGA stakeholders of APC, yesterday during a news conference, after their crucial meeting at Orogbum Civic Centre in Ward 2, Ogbunabali Road, Port Harcourt, insisted that the Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, a former Rivers governor, remained the leader of the main opposition party in the state, with the members completely loyal to him and the APC.

The six-page communique was read by the leader of APC in PHALGA, Nnamdi Wuche, a lawyer, who was accompanied by a former member of the Rivers House of Assembly, Victoria Nyeche, and other critical stakeholders of the party.

The communique read in part: “The leadership of APC in PHALGA hereby dissociates the chapter from the reckless, ill-conceived and malicious conduct of one Igo Aguma against the leader of APC in Rivers State (Amaechi) and the APC. We wish to state that Aguma’s reckless behaviour in recent times came to us as a rude shock. Consequently, we hereby disown Aguma, Lasbry Amadi and their cohorts.

“We know as a fact that the Minister for Transportation has favoured Aguma in the areas of political appointments, contracts and financial support. It beats our imagination that the same Aguma will unleash such attacks on his benefactor (Amaechi) on the pages of newspapers.

“Aguma’s sojourn and success in politics were made possible by the Minister for Transportation through his appointment as the Commissioner for Sports in Dr. Peter Odili’s government.

Aguma’s commissionership slot, otherwise known as ‘compensation slot,’ was given to his father, the late Sir Emmanuel Wonukwuru Aguma. Aguma’s presence in the 5th and 6th National Assembly as a member of the House of Representatives was also made possible by Amaechi, whom he now desperately seeks to destroy.

“Aguma has nothing to offer other than his desperation to destroy the APC in Rivers State, to pave way for his sponsor, Governor Nyesom Wike, who is desperately lobbying to join and take over the APC in Rivers State, which machinations we are now determined to nip in the bud.

“Aguma’s penchant for betrayal, insubordination and disloyalty to party leadership is legendary and dates back to the 2011 general elections, which ultimately led to his replacement by Hon. Ken Chikere. Rt. Hon. Amaechi remains the leader of APC in Rivers State, as severally acknowledged by Aguma and his cohorts.”

The former member of the House of Representatives (Aguma), while reacting yesterday evening through his media aide, Minikwu Samuel, described Wuche and other stakeholders of APC in PHALGA as impostors.
Aguma, who described himself as the leader of Rivers APC Third Force, alleged that Wuche and others who were at yesterday’s news conference were Amaechi’s praise singers.

He said: “APC in Rivers State, from the units to the state level, is structurally dead and non-existent in any way, executive and leadership-wise. APC in Rivers State has no functional executive at all levels known to law or the constitution of the party. The tenure of the former leadership of the party at all levels in Rivers state has elapsed. Congresses that should have produced a new set of executives, in line with the party’s constitution, have not been conducted and matters related thereto are proceeds of judgment of the Supreme Court and current litigation, which I (Aguma) am prosecuting.

“I wish to renew my call to the APC leadership to follow the constitution of the party and save Rivers APC from destruction by Rotimi Amaechi. This I state as a law-abiding member of our great party.”

Aguma also maintained that he remained a bonafide member and a statutory executive committee member of the APC from Ward 2, Unit 25 in PHALGA.

Wike’s reaction was sought through Rivers Commissioner for Information and Communications, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, from 4:13 p.m. yesterday, through text and WhatsApp messages, which he read, but he declined to react.

Calls were then put to the MTN line of the former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Rivers Council (Nsirim), from 5:25 p.m., but the line was later switched off.