… Emeka Beke steps up his bid for the chairmanship
As deep seated disagreements over the choice of a State party Chairman in the APC rages on, there are strong signals that some top PDP members who defected recently may return home.
This is authoritative.
The Telegraph is learning through authoritative sources that a certain politician, name withheld, who recently joined the APC from the PDP is reconsidering his position.
The politician, from one of the Riverine local governments in the State, is not hiding his displeasure over unfolding events within his new party.
“We cannot be doing things the same way”, the Rivers politician told the Port Harcourt Telegraph, “People should be free to participate in the making of a party Chairman.”
There are claims within the APC that moves are ongoing within its ranks in Rivers State to impose a chairman on the party.
They allege that stakeholders who met in Port Harcourt recently looked helplessly as what some see as a riot act was read.
Insiders reveal that a committee which handled the issue of zoning was instituted by the leadership to find the way forward.
But many in the party who hope to confront the PDP in 2023 are however indignant.
They say the culture of silence which prevails at top level APC meetings held in Port Harcourt and sometimes at the residence of the leader in Abuja might be an indication of growing dissatisfaction.
“How can we expect to get different results if we continue like this?” an angry but frustrated member of the APC queried.
“I have a feeling that the attitude which promotes the imposition of candidates may backfire seriously.”, he remarked.
Senator Magnus Abe has been warning that no one can run the APC in Rivers State without him.
Abe whose membership of the board of the NNPC just expired has been talking tough of late.
The APC has scaled two hurdles, namely ward and local government congresses, since it commenced plans to set up new party structures.
Given the template produced by the party, only State Congresses separate party men and women from taking part in an elective national convention that is to hold after the PDP’s convention billed for the end of October.
The Telegraph which is monitoring developments may not be in a position to predict when the man who may be nursing a gubernatorial ambition will make his next move.
However, we have gathered that the return of the APC bigwig to the PDP may not be long in coming.
Meanwhile, Chief Emeka Beke who is favored to win the APC state championship position is not resting on his oars either.
He is seriously campaigning in the field, according to what we have learnt. He is reaching out to party leaders in an attempt to build some cohesion.
Beke is reportedly presenting himself as a bridge builder. He is quoted as saying he has the capacity to unify the party.
There are speculations that Golden Ben Chioma, from Abe’s wing of the party is likely to contest against Emeka.
We have heard Emeka will come tops any time delegates file out of their homes to exercise their political franchise.
“It’s a done deal”, an elated APC member said, “We are not looking back. Our choice is Beke.”
The Emohua born politician belongs to a powerful power bloc within the party.
He is ostensibly, part of a strong political slate put together by party leaders, who have control of most of the delegates.