Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained why the party cannot intervene in the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to issue a Certificate of Return to Imo Governor, Rochas Okorocha, as winner of Imo West senatorial district.
APC said it cannot intervene in Okorocha’s matter with INEC because he is on suspension.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, disclosed this at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday.
Issa-Onilu also reacted to the protest that the ruling party should have suspended the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, over what many considered ‘anti-party activities,’ in his involvement in the yet-to-be concluded Rivers State governorship election.
“On the refusal of INEC to issue Certificate of Return to governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha, who was announced winner of the Imo West senatorial election, this party cannot take any action. Don’t forget he is on suspension.
“As far as this party is concerned, that situation remains and there is no way we can say that somebody is on suspension and still go ahead to intervene in his case. In any case, he has not even come up to inform the party of his problem because he must have realised he is on suspension. Therefore, if the suspension is vacated, the party will now step in to intervene, as a party member who has a problem to resolve,” Issa-Onilu said.
In his reaction to Amaechi’s activities in Rivers, the ruling party spokesperson said: “On whether what Rotimi Amaechi did in Rivers governorship election amounted to anti-party activities, I will emphatically say ‘no’ because if you liken it to the situation in Imo and or Ogun states, it would be wrong.
“In Rivers state, APC does not have any candidate and, as a party, Rivers state is very important to us. The state has been in the hands of pillagers for too long. If we have the opportunity of working with a party willing to abide by our principles, then, it is within our right to work with such a party; to ensure we free the people of Rivers from the locust.
“In this case, he has not abandoned a particular candidate who belongs to the APC for a candidate of another party. They are entirely different issues and, in that case, there is no anti-party. Whatever Amaechi has done is completely normal and acceptable to this party; as far as working with the other party is concerned,” he said.
Issa-Onilu equally assured that the ruling party would not spend the next four years blaming the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for any failure.
“On our plans in the next four years, to avoid blaming the opposition party, let me tell you that we were faced with a PDP one leg in the last four years, which continued to give the country too much problem. We limped all over the nation in a very dangerous manner.
“Nigerians, on their own, have cut off the remaining leg, making PDP a foregone issue. The actions we are taking, in earnest, is to ensure that those pitfalls that came from that limping PDP, which made the National Assembly to be in rivalry with the Executive, in the last four years, will not happen again. We will not have reason to complain again.
“However, despite the challenges, this party has achieved in the past four years, with little resources, more than the entire 16 years of PDP put together; even with huge resources at its disposal.
“We will take Nigeria to the next level, not in theory, but practically, in terms of infrastructure, robust economy, productivity, diversification of the economy, stable power supply, productive and functional education system. We have survived the PDP and the stage is set for us. We are welcome to the new Nigeria,” he said.
