By: Felix Ikpotor
Honourable Igochukwu Aguma, former factional Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has dumped the party.
His decision to dump the party came shortly after the Supreme Court on Friday, decided against his appeal and upheld his removal as acting chairman of the party.
He also stated that he cannot continue in a party where the rights and privileges of members cannot be protected.
Aguma who is a former member of the House of Representatives made his decision known in a statement by his media aide, Livingstone Wechie.
The statement reads:
1. I was present at the Supreme Court this morning to witness the judgements touching on the Rivers state chapter of the All Progressives Congress particularly the case of Igo Aguma v. APC. I respect the Supreme Court judgement which today dismissed the Appeal challenging the Court of Appeal decision which upturned the High Court judgment that declared Rt. Hon. Igo Aguma as Acting Chairman of APC in Rivers state.
2. The Supreme Court in its view decided that it is not within the purview of the Court to protect the rights and privileges of members of a political party particularly the APC because that is an internal party matter. I see this development as a an unhealthy judicial precedence which should be intellectually interrogated moving forward. Moreso it is dangerous for politics and political party democracy in Nigeria that for any reason the jurisdiction of Court should be ultimately ousted as it affects grievances by party members not minding political party arbitariness which the Court ought to restrict in the interest of our democracy in Nigeria. Regrettably, the APC that preaches respect for the rule of Law rather than protect the said rights of her members as enshrined has failed to do so and celebrates the violation of its own constitution traditionally.
3. It has been a long battle for internal democracy in the APC Rivers state to give genuine stakeholder opportunities to members. However the status quo is unsafe for my political struggle and future which I must sustain for the good of my fatherland. I cannot continue to be a member of a Political party where asking questions is a death and a party that sabotages and trades mindlessly and selfishly with the rights of its members.
4. Therefore I announce my exit from the All Progressives Congress immediately. This is my decision.
