No faction in Rivers APC -Stakeholders

Office holders, present and former elected/appointed members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, on Wednesday said that the party had no factions.

Mr Orji Ngofa, Deputy National Secretary of APC disclosed this at a news conference organised by the stakeholders in Port Harcourt.

Ngofa said some persons who decamped to the APC, that were moles in search of pecuniary benefits had beaten a retreat back to their original party.

He stated that the APC Family in Rivers under the leadership of Mr Chibuike  Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, remained solidly unified, cohesive and intact.

“Political parties operate open-door policy because the game of politics is a game of numbers.

“In the Nigerian political milieu, change of parties is common especially since the present democratic journey that began in 1998.

“Recently, we have seen individuals from the opposition decamp to the APC. While some of them have teamed to add value to our party, a few have turned as moles in search of pecuniary benefits,” he said.

According to Ngofa, some of the decamped persons were disappointed that the APC operates on a high moral ground where pecuniary interest has no place, have beaten a retreat back to their original party.

“Unfortunately, in doing so, they have tried to impress their new masters through paid articles in newspapers and other malfeasance.

“We know that these persons have notched up notoriety in lies and propaganda and pride themselves so much in doing so.

“This time particularly, their exit propaganda was to plant a highly  vexatious story in a national newspaper portraying the APC in Rivers State as having broken into factions,” he added.

Ngofa also defended  Amaechi for facilitating a stakeholders meeting during the visit of  Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to Rivers.

He said that the second stakeholders meeting provided the veritable opportunity for ethnic nationalities that were denied opportunity in the first meeting with Osinbajo to make their case.

The APC stakeholders commended the Rivers Elders and Leaders Council (RELC) led by Chief Albert Horsfall for committing to identifying the root cause of disunity and division in the state and to provide solution.

Ngofa said that the APC was proud of Amaechi for driving the complete modernisation and repositioning of the nation’s transportation system, especially the long neglected railways and airports.

“We note with joy that his effort is already bearing fruit as the transportation sector is being given a total turnaround to meet present day expectations.

“We salute our leader’s vision, tenacity and drive to secure the support of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Assembly in the building of Calabar–Port Harcourt–Lagos Coastal Rail Line.

“The commencement of work at the long-abandoned Port Harcourt International Airport is laudable. These projects will bring about life-changing impact on the people of Rivers, the Niger Delta and indeed Nigeria,” he said.