By David Onimisi Lawani
The Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Rochas Okorocha has stated that he was in the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to draw the attention of the party on the need to respect court judgment affirming Daniel Nwanfor as the authentic state party executive.
Okorocha made this clarification in a press briefing noting that the party is a law-abiding party and there is every need for the party to obey court decisions as some of the victories the party is enjoying today were as a result of court decisions.
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He said the attempt by some people in Imo state to de-register them and the present Executive members of the party was uncalled saying he has been a supportive member of the party since it was formed through a merger.
According to him: “We are here because of what is happening in Imo state. Primarily, things are not going right in the state as it affects the party. We are concern about the upcoming congresses. There are certain things that need to be put in place before Congress as it affects registration and others.
” There has been an issue about the elected excos of the party in the state. The elected excos have not been allowed to function. We are here to bring your attention to it. And we know that our party is a law-abiding party. A party of rule of law. We have come to ask the party to obey the court judgment that established the right excos in the state which has not been upturn by any court. That court judgment said Daniel Nwafor excos are the authentic and elected members of the exco. And the judgment holds that not even the NEC of the APC can dissolve them.
” And the judgment has been there up to the court of appeal. And there has not been any other court judgment. High, appeal court judgment has shown that the authentic exco is led by him. And without him, the Congresses will be illegal. We have come to remind the party as a law-abiding party to please obey the court judgment. And ensure that the court judgment on the party stands.
” We have come a long way in building this party. I was one of the founding fathers of the party. I brought in APGA with CPC and ACN to form what was known today as APC. I was the one who gave the name APC. I was the only elected governor from the South East that made up this party. At a time when this party’s name was taboo in the south East. Everybody that became anything in the North came in the favor of President Muhammadu Buhari. But we from the South East sees the name Buhari as taboo as at that time. Most people never believe in the party”, he said.
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He added: ” The party should be seen to remember those who founded the party. We join the party because of justice. And it must be seen to prevail all the time at all levels. We are here to remind the party and we pray that the party will give it adequate attention that it deserves by first and foremost, allow the leaders of the party to go and register.
” How can you have a congress coming without having the leaders like Senator Ararume, Chairman of the party are not registered yet? We have five Hon members at the party and they are here. If the five members here are not registered, what are we talking about? We are here to advise the party to do the needful. And obey the court judgment so that the world will not see our party as a party that doesn’t obey court judgment or respect court judgment”, he noted.
On the question of why he is not a registered member of the party yet as a member of the party, he narrated that as far as he and others were concerned, there has not been registered for party members.
“As far as we are a concern, there is nothing like that taking place. There is no registration. And once there is nothing like that, we have not seen that in the field. People want to register. There is an elected exco supported by the court of appeal judgment who are supposed to be in charge of the delegation to conduct the ch Congress. That is why you are seeing many people who have not registered. There is no registration going on in Imo state as far as I am concerned.
” So we have come to ask the party to correct this and recognize the people so elected and back up by the court to allow them to go and do their work. Imo is naturally APC. If, not, we won as APC when PDP was in government in the Federal. So what is difficult for the party when it is in power in Federal? The point we are saying is that the right thing should be done in the state as it stands.
It will be noted that Senator Okorocha was in the party secretariat with Distinguished Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, Hon Ozibo Ogonna, member of the House of Representatives, Ozibo Okechukwu, former aspirant, Chief Enwerem, Daniel Nwantor, chairman of APC Imo state, Jude Ejeogu, Hon Pascal Obi, madam Ajimogu, and others.
