As the All Progressives Congress, (APC),  administration at the centre prepares to mark its second year anniversary, things appear to be falling apart in the relationship between erstwhile friends, immediate past governor of Rivers State Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and  Senator representing Rivers South East Senatorial District in  National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe,
Reacting to media reports on how Amaechi, now Minister of Transportation, allegedly abused him at a meeting of Ikwerre National Forum (INF), Abe was said to have been pained by the development , describing Amaechi as an ungrateful person.
The said meeting of INF   took place last Saturday in the Port Harcourt, GRA residence of Chief Andrew Uchendu, immediate past member of Federal House of Representatives, representing Ikwerre and Emohua Federal Constituency, and APC senatorial candidate for Rivers East senatorial district.
It was gathered that the meeting was attended by APC leaders from  the four Ikwerre speaking local government areas of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Ikwerre and Emohua.
Recall that, at an earlier  meeting of the Rivers APC’s caucus and leadership, Rotimi Amaechi, had  reportedly made the mistake of his life when he announced that the governorship ticket of the party in 2019 will be given to his business associate and crony, Tonye Cole, the co-founder of Sahara Energy Resource Limited, the company said to have been involved in the controversial sale and purchase of some of the assets of Rivers State  during  Amaechi’s tenure as governor.
This decision of the APC leader in Rivers State,  it was gathered has now torn the party apart as the duo of Senator Magnus Abe and Dr Dakuku Peterside, the two contending aspirants, have now vowed to teach Amaechi a lesson of his life.
Although sources close to Dakuku Peterside  appear to be silent on how they feel about what an insider refers to as betrayal of the century, it is obvious that they are as hurt as the camp of Senator Magnus Abe,  given the fact that their principal (Dakuku) had had  the opportunity to bear the flag of the party in  the 2015 governorship election.
However,Abe’s group, it was gathered, are not hiding their anger and disappointment in the choice of Cole and have vowed to dump APC if their candidate is not given a fair chance to contest for the governorship ticket in 2019.
Meanwhile, one of Abe’s supporters who pleaded anonymity, had threatened that APC in Rivers State risks disintegration should the transportation minister jettison, for the second time, the democratic process of party primaries, and go ahead to impose his preferred governorship candidate against the wishes of the majority.
His words, “Honestly, we are not saying that Abe should be given the ticket without any contest. Anybody who wants to emerge as the party’s governorship candidate should do so through the ballot. The era of imposition is over.
“We will not tolerate what happened in 2014 to repeat itself in 2018.To be candid, if Abe is denied the ticket this time around,  the APC at this time will be her worst nightmare. The party will just become easy prey for the ruling PDP.
It was learnt that while APC is engrossed in internal squabbles, their leadership is loosing  sight of the fact that Governor Ezenwo Nyesom  Wike, who has the constitutional right of second tenure has been consolidating his hold on power by combing into the nooks and crannies of the state to attract the support of, not only the existing apolitical Rivers men and women but carting away APC members in their thousands.
Reflecting on the likely political direction of the state in 2019, a political analyst, Dr. Oforika Stanley observed thus: “Rivers State is experiencing and enjoying massive infrastructural development under Governor Nyesom Wike and it will be stupid of any body to imagine that our people will ignore the high standards set by Wike and begin to look elsewhere. It is certainly not possible, our people will continue to enjoy the peace, unity and progress Governor Wike had already put in place in our dear state,” Oforibika emphasized.