Screening: Participate under your imaginary faction, Rivers APC executive tells Abe, supporters

PORT HARCOURT – ASSISTANT Publicity Secretary of Rivers state All Progressives Congress (APC), Darlington Nwauju has said Wednesday’s protest at the party secretariat by Sen Magnus Abe’s camp of the divided party was uncalled for and amounted to playing double standard over ongoing screening and delegates congresses in the state.
Party members loyal to Abe had thronged the Rivers APC Secretariat, protesting isolation from the meetings, aspirants screening and delegates congresses being conducted by the Dr Adoje Omele led Supervising Committee mobilised by the national body from Abuja with the protesters dispersed by security personnel in the end.
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Amidst the development, Chairman of the Screening/Delegates Congresses Supervising Committee, Dr Adoje Omale, told Vanguard Wednesday evening that the exercise was ongoing seamlessly and results were coming in from the ward and local government area delegates congress in Rivers.
Nwauju on perceived futility of the protest said, “You (Abe camp) kept deluding yourselves in the media that the Emeka Beke led Rivers APC Exco is not recognized by your “faction”. You kept selling a blatant lie to the press that there is a “faction”. Since there are factions why don’t you do your own and we do our own?
Please, gather yourselves at Freedom House and cry to Ben Chioma, your own ‘Chairman’. Can the actions of an entity you claim is illegal affect your “faction?. Can an illegal entity execute legality?
“I hope those who enjoy propagating
the tales by moonlight of factions in Rivers APC are reading in-between lines or continue in the prebendal rascality of talking about an imaginary faction in the APC in Rivers State.”
Former Rivers Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha, highlighting the grievance that provoked the protest by Abe’s camp which he belongs said the screening, congresses were meant to be “a transparent system which ordinarily ought to begin with a stakeholders meeting with the Panel deployed to Rivers and later, distribution of materials and personnel to the 319 wards in the State.
“That never took place. The Panel upon arrival to Rivers was hijacked and lodged in a hotel and handed down a script to enact. Attempt by Party members to demand implementation of the rules via a peaceful action, deployment of militants aided by the Police, to sporadically shoot at harmless protesters”
However, speaking to Vanguard Wednesday evening at the state’s APC secretariat, Chairman of the seven man Committee Panel, Omale said, “I don’t know of any disturbance. I only heard of it. We arrived Port Harcourt yesterday (Tuesday) and we came straight to the party office.
“We had preliminary interactions with party officials where we announced the schedule for the congresses and screening. This morning (Wednesday) we came out to commence the ward and local government congresses which is going on smoothly. Results are coming out from the field. We commenced the screening this afternoon, everything going smoothly.”
He said the exercise continues tomorrow for a window to aspirants yet to be screened to come forward for the exercise, adding that “from what I see and the cooperation from the people, the party is strong in Rivers.”