The All Progressives Congress National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun Wednesday lamented loss of oil-rich Rivers state to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying “there is something fundamentally wrong in the judiciary.
He spoke while addressing a delegation of Rivers APC led its governorship candidate in the April 11, 2015 elections, Dakuku Peterside at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
At the meeting, Odigie-Oyegun expressed shock over the Supreme Court’s decision on the Rivers State governorship election.
He assured that the party national leadership will give necessary support to ensure successes in subsequent elections in the state.
Odigie-Oyegun said, “The APC National leadership has not neglected party leaders and supporters in Rivers State. The state has always been in the front burner of discussion and decision in the party.
“There is obviously something fundamentally wrong in Rivers state which needs to be investigated and addressed.
“Your visit has had a sober effect on me. This meeting will kick start urgent actions to address what went wrong.
“As of today, there are attempts being made by INEC to bar us from elections in Anambra and other states. We must address these issues. I still find the judgement on the Rivers State governorship election totally astonishing. There is something fundamentally wrong in the Judiciary.
“We have lost very important resource-rich states to the PDP. No matter how crude oil prices have fallen, it is still the most important revenue earner for the country.
“I will take up your request to facilitate a meeting with the President. We will do that as soon as possible and also make it clear that there are problems which as a party, we must address.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Dr. Dakuku Peterside said: “It will interest you to know that many of our members, supporters and sympathisers are still at a loss to see us work as orphans. We have a herculean task explaining to them that we actually form government at the centre. It is like, we lost the elections.
To an overwhelming majority of them, the only indication that we might be part of government at the federal level is because our leader and Director General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign which led to a people’s revolution that defeated the former ruling party, and former Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Chubuike Rotimi Amaechi is a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The concerns of our members are re-enforced by the fact that more than eight months after APC has formed government at the Federal Level, notable PDP chieftains and members who spent State resources to work assiduously against us (APC) are still occupying strategic federal government positions, dispensing patronages to PDP members to the disadvantage and chagrin of APC members.
Peterside reported that as a result of the unflinching support party leaders and members gave President Buhari and the APC, they have been exposed to undue attacks and hatred and internal discrimination.
On the delegation were Dakuku Peterside and running mate, Hon. Asita Honourable; Rivers state APC Chairman, Chief (Dr.) Davies Ibiamu Ikanya; member of the APC Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr. Sam Sam Jaja; Senator Magnus Abe and several Rivers state aspirants and Rivers state APC stalwarts.
