By: Felix Ikpotor
Dr Peter Medee, the president of Ogoni Apex socio-political group, KAGOTE, has debunked rumours of his removal, insisting that he remains the president of the organization till December 2019 when his tenure will elapse.
Medee gave the clarification following the purported election of a new exco led by a former Deputy Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Dr. Charles Befii Nwile as president of the body.
KAGOTE is an acronym for the four Local Government Areas of Ogoni such as Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme.
Chief Alabi Korsi said to be the chairman KAGOTE Electoral Committee who is a pioneer member of the organisation had on Tuesday in Port Harcourt said that Nwile emerged the new president in an election on Monday.
He disclosed that Nwile polled 44 votes to defeat his co-contestant, Dr. Peter Medee, who polled 15 votes.
He also said the three-year tenure of Medee who is a senior lecturer at the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), ended last December while urging all Ogoni people to massively support Nwile to succeed.
But when contacted, Medee maintained he remained the President of KAGOTE, adding that his second term would end in December 2019.
Medee said: “No KAGOTE election took place in Port Harcourt on Monday. I was first elected in 2013 for three-year tenure.
“I was re-elected in 2016 for another term of three years, which ends in December 2019.
“In line with KAGOTE’s constitution, there is no provision for third term. Only two terms are allowed for members of the executive of the great organisation.”
He went further to describe the election as laughable.
He said: “ It’s laughable. Somebody will just sit in a bear parlour and come up the next day that they have elected president of KAGOTE. Our tenure will elapse around December 2019, we were first elected in 2013 and our tenure elapsed in 2016 and we were elected for a second tenure which will elapse in 2019.”
He stated that Nwile is not a member of the organization and has never attended any of their meetings.
“The person in question is not even a member of KAGOTE. We have our way of admitting members which is done through nomination and such person must be admitted. He has never attended our meetings. He should provide KAGOTE meeting attendance were his name is reflected as someone that has attended our meetings. We have our KAGOTE bible were all the names of members are. His name is not in any,” he said.
Medee who is a lecturer in the Department of Economics, UNIPORT, said even when Nwile was deputy speaker which gave him the privilege to be a member, he never attended meetings.
While urging Ogonis to ignore the news of the purported election, the KAGOTE boss said, the persons in question will all fizzle out.
He recalled that few years back one Gregory Nwidam also came up claiming to be president of the body but later fizzle out, urging the people to remain focused on the struggle for the emancipation of the Ogoni nation from all forms of political and economic marginalization.
He also warned persons within and outside Ogoniland, whom he accused of attempting to cause crisis and confusion in KAGOTE to desist forthwith, insisting that KAGOTE remained an indivisible body under his leadership.
