The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate resignation of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, over comments credited to him on the political crisis rocking the state.
The party said the demand followed Morka’s recent appearance on national television, where he reportedly criticised the Rivers APC’s stance on what it described as legislative overreach and an alleged coup d’état by members of the Rivers State House of Assembly aimed at removing Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu.
In a statement issued on Tuesday and signed by the state party spokesman, Darlington Nwauju, the Rivers APC said it was embarrassing and unacceptable that Morka publicly questioned the legitimacy of its officials.
Nwauju said the party was particularly disturbed by Morka’s remarks on his status, noting that the national spokesman described him as an official of the old exco and expressed doubts about whether he remained part of the current executive.
According to the statement, such comments amounted to ridicule and showed a lack of respect for the party’s structure in Rivers State.
The Rivers APC further accused Morka of showing continuous ridicule, disrespect and disregard for lawful court rulings, adding that his comments had cast a big question mark on the credibility of statements and opinions emanating from the national publicity office on Rivers State affairs.
The statement read, “We are therefore calling for his disbarment, owing to the fact that Suit No. PHC/3592/CS/2023 (Sam Sam Etetegwung Vs APC) and Suit No 3859/CS/2024 (OkwuJoe Brown Ndke Vs APC), both nullified the purported dissolution of Executives elected in October 16 2021 and voided the kangaroo congress conducted in November 2023 to replace the Executives elected in October 2021, thereby giving Mr Nwauju the audacity to speak for their party in Rivers.
“Since we are practicing a Constitutional democracy and our Party is built on progressive ideals to defend democratic practice and promote the rule law, Mr Morka has lost the moral high ground to continue to act as a national officer of our great party having been elected to come on national television to promote partisan interpretation to subsisting court rulings over the party leadership question in Rivers APC.
“This misleading narrative is too dangerous to be ignored by any true member of our party praying for the party to mobilise and win elections fair and square in Rivers for Mr President.
“We dare say that Mr Morka should have kept quiet rather than using his interview to launder the image of a non-party member over and above one of the Party’s Governors who doubles as the undisputable leader of our party in Rivers State.
“Again, we are also aware that the National Working Committee, outside of the National Executive Committee (NEC) is the conscience of our party and should not continue to condone persons who are out to promote divisiveness over and above internal party cohesion.
“We are further aware of the provisions of Article 13.4 (xvi), ‘The National Working Committee shall liaise with governments formed by the Party at all levels with a view to ensuring that members of the Party are accorded priority in appointments into public offices, and shall provide periodic reports in this regard to the National Executive Committee’.
“We are therefore at a loss as to why Mr Morka, a national officer of the APC, would downplay the serious issue of a self-serving impeachment process against a serving APC Governor. The opinion of Mr Morka, which we very well know is entirely personal and can not pass for the stand of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, leaves so much to be desired and calls into question his loyalty to the APC.
“Mr Morka’s poor attitude to the collective well-being and interest of our Party leaves both a black eye and sour taste on the lips of party faithfuls across Rivers State and beyond. We are tempted to ask: “Is Morka truly working for the victory of the APC?
“Mr Morka is a trained lawyer who should know better but has willfully chosen to look the other way because the crisis profits him economically.
“We believe it is now time for the NBA and specifically, the Legal Practitioners Privileges Council to investigate and review the deliberate, scandalous conduct of Mr Morka, whose comments and behaviour on national television are calculated to detract from the dignity of the court and cause irreparable reputational damage to the legal profession in Nigeria.
“We reiterate this fact and let it be known to all including the National Working Committee of our great party that action(s) taken by persons who were purportedly “elected” into the leadership of the APC in Rivers State through kangaroo congresses conducted under Alhaji Umar Ganduje in November 2023, are a direct affront on the courts as their activities are built on a faulty foundation and cannot survive the test of legal fireworks!
“Our National Chairman, Prof Nentawe Yilwada and Secretary, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, must not allow what happened to Rivers APC in 2019 to repeat itself.”
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