Section of attendees in the Meeting
PORT HARCOURT/Nigeria: The crisis bedeviling the All Progressive Congress took a new turn today when 28 APC statutory members suspended Igo Aguma from the party this morning.
List of the 28 APC statutory members that suspended Igo Aguma this morning include:
Hon. Edwin Oludi,
Hon Ike Chinwo
Hon Irene Inimgba
Sen Andrew Uchendu
Hon Chidi Lloyd
Hon. Elechi Dike
Hon. Sampson Egop
Hon. Fred Igwe
Hon. James Fuayefika
Hon. Leyi Keane
Hon. Tonye Longjohn
Hon. Dakuku Peterside
Hon. Alalibo Fredrick
Hon. Dawari George
Hon. Sokonte Davis
Hon. Bob Fredricks
Hon. Asita Honourable
Hon. John Imegi
Hon. Ogbonna Nwuke
Hon. David Okumgba
Dr. Sam Sam Jaja
Chief Victor Giadom
Hon. Promise Abibo
Hon. Elemchukwu James
Hon. Isaiah Elechi
Group Captain Ben-Kalio
Chief Rufus Ada George
Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi
Text of Press Conference of the Statutory Members of the Rivers State Executive Committee, All Progressives Congress, APC, held on 22nd Day of June, 2020 and made available to journalists in Port Harcourt noted that, “the Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressive Congress has been enmeshed in crisis for some time now, making it nigh impossible to conduct its affairs.”
It explained that, “Following suit No. PHC/4355/2019 filed by Hon. Igochukwu Aguma in his capacity as a Statutory Member of the State Executive Committee, APC Rivers State Chapter, Hon. Justice G.O. Omereji of the High Court of Rivers State entered a judgment in which the judge made an Order directing the 2nd and 3rd Defendants to within 48 hours of the making thereof constitute a fresh Caretaker Committee incorporating the Claimant as the Chairman and all Statutory members as Members in furtherance of the constitution of the 2nd Defendant failure of which Statutory Members comprise the Caretaker Committee chaired by the Claimant in furtherance of the All Progressive Congress’s Constitution.”
By the above quoted Order of the High Court of Rivers State, it is clear that the Court constituted the entire Members of the State Executive Committee into the leadership of the Party with Hon. Igochuchukwu Aguma as Chairman.
Article 26 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress 2014 (as Amended), is clear that the Quorum for a meeting of the State Executive Committee, as applicable in this case to the total number of statutory members as unambiguously defined by the Party’s Constitution, shall be by one-third majority. For the avoidance of doubt, the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee of our great Party in Rivers State are thirty eight (38).
According to the release, “Upon obtaining judgment at the High Court of Rivers State in Suit Number PHC/4355/2019, Hon. Igochukwu Aguma in violent disobedience, disregard and disrespect to the said judgment constituted himself into a sole administrator, relegating, abandoning and disregarding majority of the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee and taking critical decisions that affect the Party all by himself.”
“Hon. Igochukwu Aguma, in disobedience of the Judgment which he obtained, called a Meeting of the Statutory members of the State Executive Committee on 14th June, 2020 via zoom platform and deliberately refused to give the user Identity Cards and password Numbers for the Meeting to majority of the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee, thereby shutting them out of the Meeting.”
“Even when he managed to send the user ID and Password to some persons, he made sure he sent same after the Meeting had been concluded.”
“Hon. Igochukwu Aguma, has by his deliberate actions and inactions festered the crisis in the Party rather than take steps to abate same and this has worsened the situation and condition of our great Party.”
“Without authorization from the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee, Hon. Igochukwu Aguma, has been operating from his private residence, deliberately refusing to operate from the State Secretariat of the Party and this is against the advice of Majority of the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee.”
“Without seeking approval of the State Executive Committee, which approval can only be given by a Majority decision at a proper Meeting of the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee in accordance with Article 25(F)(xi)(a) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (As Amended), Hon. Igochukwu Aguma filed an action through his proxies (Dele Moses and others) at the High Court of Rivers State against the All Progressives Congress on the basis of which interim order granted by the court he is purporting to have removed Chief Victor Giadom, a Rivers State indigene, from office as a National Officer of the Party and brazenly purported to have suspended Chief Victor Giadom from being a Member of the Party. These are powers Igo Aguma does not have.”
“Also without the authorization of the Statutory Members of the State Executive Committee, Hon. Igochukwu Aguma purportedly nominated Mr. Worgu Boms to replace Chief Victor Giadom as a National Officer of the Party, which powers again he does not have.”
“The zoom Meeting of the Statutory Members of the Executive Committee called by Hon. Igochukwu Aguma did not have the required quorum under Article 26 of our Party’s Constitution and so are not valid and lawful meetings of the Party that can reach decisions that would bind the Party.”
