Governor Amaechi Faces Setback As Court Sacks Rivers PDP Exco

Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi has suffered a major political setback as the state executive of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by the governor, but led by Chief Godspower Akeh, was Monday removed by an Abuja High Court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello. Justice Bello approved the election of a parallel executive of a faction loyal to the Minister of State for Education, Nyeson Wike. The faction is led by Felix Obuah. Based on the ruling, the PDP political leadership in Rivers State has effectively been yanked from Amaechi and transferred to Wike. Obuah had gone to court to challenge the election of Akeh, who was elected chairman of the state executive organ of PDP in February 2011. The faction had alleged that the election that brought in Akeh and his executive members was not democratically conducted. The suit was initially before Justice Abubakar Talba who gave the controversial judgment on the case involving Director of the Police Pension Fund, John Yusuf. However, the suit was transferred to Justice Bello, who gave judgment in favour of Wike’s faction.   The high point of the suit was when Justice Bello ruled that he had jurisdiction over the suit and adopted the affidavit of the Chairman of Edo State PDP, Dan Orbih, who in his affidavit said that the results paraded by Akeh did not emanate from the congress that he had conducted in Rivers State. Justice Bello also overruled the video evidence to prove that Akeh was the authentic and duly elected chairman of PDP in the congress conducted in the state. Commenting on the judgment, the Rivers State Commissioner for Information, Ibim Semenitari, said the governor would study the judgment before making a public comment on it. She said: “We have heard the judgment and we are waiting for legal advice from our lawyers before making any comments.” Wike present Minister of state for education who is believed to be Jonathans boy, was the former chief of staff to Amaechi before they fell out politically. The battle line is drawn now seems to be drawn.