Chairman of the caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has vowed not to apologise to a State High Court judge, Justice Sika Aprioku, over his recent judgment on the leadership of the party.
Chairmen of the branches of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), in the state, had in a joint statement urged APC caretaker committee chairman to apologise to Aprioku for alleging that the judge was biased in his judgement where he sacked the caretaker committee and reinstated the Chief Emeka Beke-led elected executives of the party in the state.
However, addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, Okocha stated that he committed no offence against the high court and, therefore, would not apologise.
He berated the party’s governorship candidate in the 2023 general election in the state, Tonye Cole, for accusing him of romancing with the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike and thereby engaging in anti-party activities.
The APC caretaker committee chairman stated that unlike some members of the party, he has never left the party and declared for another political party since he joined the party in its formative years.
Okocha said: “I never left APC but I belonged to a group , though we never had a gathering place, which antagonised the system. We fought intellectually and were always in the courtrooms but never left the APC.
“I was never sent out or suspended by the party. So, I have the audacity and temerity to speak about APC in Rivers State. At the formative stage of the party in the state, it was myself and my boss then, that decided who will be chairman and secretary of the party.”
He said he had the audacity to speak for APC, especially now that the party has recognised him as the caretaker committee chairman and leader of the party in the state.