CRISIS OF CONFIDENCE ROCKS Rivers APC

The already brewing disaffection and polarization of the All Progressive Congress, APC, which have divided the party into three contending groups, is threatening the survival of the party in Rivers State.

The said rift, we gathered is said to be identifiable among those loyal to the Honourable Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; party faithfuls loyal to Senator Magnus Abe, senator representing Rivers - East Senatorial District in Nigeria’s 8th Assembly, and others who are committed to the cause of the Director- General of the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency, NIMASA, Dr. Adol Dakuku Peterside.

Our source also hinted that, things have so fallen apart in the relationship among the three contending forces in Rivers APC that even in the distribution of resources, shares to individuals or groups are measured according to the perceived quantum of loyalty to any of the three factional leaders.

While the state former Governor, Hon Rotimi Amaechi and current Minister of Transportation in the Muhammadu Buhari administration is said to be counting on former caretaker chairmen, Dakuku Peterside is alleged to be relying on past and present leaders of the National Union of Rivers State Students, as well as those supporters put together during the 2015 election under the aegis of his Media Team.

On his part, SenatorMagnus Abe is resting his hope on the assurances of those considered to be fairly experienced politicians, who have held political offices in the past, but we were told that such support in the real sense of the word is not cast in stone.

Insider sources hinted that this degree of distrust and disaffection in the APC in Rivers State can only be traced to lack of leadership and coordination.

A stalwart who craved for anonymity, had this to say: “It is very unfortunate that APC is in this mess but I have no doubt that it will become very grave because, if you look, you will find that the party is made up of inexperienced men and women, while the experienced politicians in the state are all in the PDP.

That ordinarily should not have been a problem if not for the myopic and ‘dog eat dog’ situation in APC ; “The sorry situation in the Rivers APC is the massive movement of party stalwarts, particularly very few experienced politicians who worked under former Governors Rufus Ada George and Peter Odili.

“Most of those concerned were products of the famous Bulldozer of Rivers State politics, Chief Sergeant Awuse and Chief Bekimbo Soberekon, the flamboyant SPD governorship aspirant, who was also known as ‘Soberekon for the Masses’.

“The last straw that is set to break the Carmel’s back, and which is likely to drown

and bury APC in Rivers State with total finality was said to have been hatched in a meeting coordinated by a popular politician generally described as the technical strategist from one of the upland Local Government Areas.

“In that meeting, nine former Commissioners and about 25 former office holders were in attendance.

''They were unanimous that time is ripe to initiate a movement and it will appear that survival of APC in Rivers State is now on a time machine''. the politician who was in attendance further explained.