The All Progressives Congress (APC), Rivers State Chapter, this afternoon accused the Presidency and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of engineering the lingering judiciary crisis in the state with a view to using it to unseat Governor Chibuike Amaechi before the 2015 general elections.

The party leveled the accusation while “strongly” condemning what it called “the show of shame witnessed in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on 23rd, September, 2014, when a horde of well-armed and fierce-looking policemen, acting on the orders of the Federal Government, brutalised innocent citizens protesting the desperate attempt to foist Justice Daisy Okocha as the Chief Justice of the State.”

Rivers APC said in a statement issued in Port Harcourt and signed by Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze on behalf of the State Chairman, Dr. davies Ibiamu Ikanya. “This is the height of impunity by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled Presidency, which has tried almost everything in the book in a failed bid to illegally remove the Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, from office,” the party said.

It alleged that “the real reason behind the lingering crisis in the state’s judiciary is not just about who has the right between the State Governor and the National Judicial Council (NJC) to appoint the State Chief Judge. Rather, this is a needless crisis deliberately engineered by the Presidency and the PDP in their desperation to remove Governor Amaechi at all costs before the 2015 general elections knowing very well that with Governor Amaechi as the helmsman in Rivers State coupled with all the autrocities commiteed by the administration of President Jonathan against the people of Rivers State, PDP and the presidency have lost Rivers State even before the 2015 general elections.

“They have tried severally to remove him through the courts and when that failed, they mobilised funds to sway the National Assembly members to do their bidding. That attempt was, however, successfully resisted by patriotic lawmakers who would not be swayed by lucre. A similar scenario has played itself out here in Rivers State, where the vast majority of members of the State House of Assembly have chosen to remain loyal to Governor Amaechi despite all temptations to support the illegality scripted by the Presidency and PDP.

“The protracted battle between the NJC and the State Government over the appointment of a substantive Chief Judge for the state has on one side the choice of the governor, Justice Peter Agumagu, and that of the NJC, Daisy Okocha. But there is a political undertone in the whole script that is being played out, culminating in the police escorting Okocha to the State High Court to meet with Judges by yesterday — a clear act of aggression.”

The statement also quoted Chief Tony Okocha, Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, as saying: “The PDP is only desperate to remove Gov. Amaechi from office before the 2015 election as that is the only way they can rig the election and manipulate it in their favour. They know that with the Governor and the APC on ground here, having the support of the masses who are the real electorates, the PDP cannot win up to 9 per cent of the votes in Rivers State.

“They plan to foist a candidate they can use to organise a kangaroo impeachment by just six lawmakers with a view to removing the Governor, his deputy and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. This is a repeat of what took place in Adamawa State but here the case is different because we have the support of the people and majority of the lawmakers are for the Governor.”

Rivers APC “unreservedly” condemned “the raining of tear gas canisters on protesters comprising mainly Judiciary workers who are against the imposition of a Judge on them. The workers, transporters and other passers-by who found refuge in the nearby Port Harcourt City Council received more doses of tear gas from the overzealous police officers carrying out the orders of the newly posted Commissioner of Police, Dan Bature.”

According to the party, “CP Bature’s action barely one week after he assumed office may have confirmed allegations that he was sent on a mission to ensure the emergence of a PDP Governor in the State. We are, however, ready for him and his paymasters in Abuja, as we shall neither be intimidated nor browbeaten into surrendering our fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.”

•Photo shows Ikanya.