By: Felix Ikpotor
With barely one day to the much anticipated National Convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Magnus Ngei Abe led faction of the party in Rivers State are now protesting against the delegates list submitted by the minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi led faction.
They said dead persons, non party members and non statutory delegates were included in the delegates list for the convention by the minister’s faction.
According to a protest letter signed by Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, Senator Willison Ake,
Hon. Otelemaba Daniel Amachree, Hon. Chidi Wihioka
Hon. Maurice Pronen, Hon. Golden Ben Chioma and Barr. Worgu Boms, they urged the party to delist the ‘fake delegates’ to protect the sanctity of the process as allowing it has dire legal consequences on its outcome. The statement reads in full:
We are stakeholders and party faithful and leaders of the APC in Rivers state, both delegates and a candidate in the forthcoming Convention of the Party.
2. Our attention has been drawn to a delegates’ list submitted to the party from the Rivers State chapter of the party as the Rivers State delegates’ list.
3. We examined the list and found that the list was inflated by adding names of deceased persons and persons who were NEVER principal officers in the Rivers State House of Assembly (two categories of invalidity and nullity of delegates) status are attached to over twenty persons on the list in three broad categories of deceased persons, impostors, and persons who are no longer members of the APC.
DECEASED PERSONS
4. The following persons captured on the list in the following categories are all dead. They are:
A Chief D.U. Anucha, number 1 on the delegates’ list in the category of former Deputy Governors.
B. Hon. Apollos Amadi, number 8 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past National Assembly members.
C. Hon Martins Mannah, number 16 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal members of the State Assembly.
D. Hon Andrew Miller, number 17 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal members of the State Assembly.
E. Hon Felicia Tane, number 18 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal members of the State Assembly.
IMPOSTORS
5. The following persons on the list are mischievously presented as Principal Officers of the State House of Assembly. They were so presented so as to bring them into the delegates’ category since being a member of House of Assembly is not. We do not say that they were not in the state legislature on the dates listed against their names. We state that it is not true that they were principal officers as claimed. They are:
A. Hon Samuel Oguru, number 8 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
b. Hon Bob Fredrick, number 11 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
C. Hon Victoria Nyeche, number 15 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
D. Hon Collins Ordu, number 19 on the delegates’list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
E. Hon Onari Brown, number 20 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
F. Hon Ibroma Kitchner, number 21 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
G. Hon Gift Wokocha, number 22 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
H. Hon Lucky Odili, number 23 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
I Hon Ishmael Singer, number 24 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly
J. Hon Maureen Tamuno, number 25 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
K. Hon Chidiebere Okwu-Worlu, number 26 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
L. Hon Belema Okpokiri, number 27 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
M. Hon Charles Anyanwu, number 28 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
N. Hon John Bazia, number 29 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal officers of the State Assembly.
Please find attached, a letter from the Rivers State House of Assembly confirming that they were never at anytime, principal officers.
PERSONS WHO HAVE LEFT THE APC AND ARE NOW MEMBERS OF PDP
5. The Final Category of Invalid/ Fake Delegates as contained in the list consists of three persons who have since defected from our party and are now members of the opposition PDP in Rivers state. They are:
A Hon Fred Igwe, number 21 on the delegates’ list in the category of present and past National Assembly members.
B. Hon Aboko Agolia, number 7 of the delegates’ list in the category of present and past principal members of the State Assembly.
C. Senator Osinakachi Ideozu, number 5 of the category of present and past members of the National Assembly has never been a member of our party.
We urge the Committee to remove these invalid and fake delegates to protect the sanctity and credibility of the process for the good of all and the party as allowing it has dire legal consequences on the outcome.
