Wike is ineligible to lead in APC, Augustine Wokocha, a Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) leader, has publicly rejected calls for former governor Nyesom Wike to switch sides and lead the state’s opposition party.
Just a day earlier, Tony Okocha, the former Chief of Staff in Rivers State Government House, recommended at a news conference in Port Harcourt that Wike should join and lead the APC amid rumors of a likely defection from the PDP.
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However, Wokocha, the former Commissioner for Power and Coordinator of Rivers State’s defunct Tinubu/Shettima Grassroot Independent Campaign Council, believes Wike is unable to lead the opposition party.
Wokocha questioned Okocha’s claim in a press conference in Port Harcourt on Friday.
ged Okocha’s claim that Wike single-handedly secured the state for APC’s Bola Tinubu in the previous general election and so deserved to be rewarded.
According to Wokocha, “the victory of Bola Tinubu in the last election in Rivers State cannot be attributed to one individual.” It is a combination of Rivers’ over 200,000 votes in support of the man who is now our President.
He also questioned Wike’s direct involvement, adding, “I can’t remember any forum where he referred to our party’s candidate.”
To my knowledge, he did not direct his supporters to vote for him. So I’m not sure what Okocha means when he says Wike “significantly contributed to Tinubu’s Victory.”
Wokocha believes that it is critical to express gratitude to the public. Although Wokocha is not opposed to Wike joining the APC, he insists that the party is not looking for a leader.
Candidly speaking, politics is the more the merrier, he emphasizes. So Wike joining the APC is a positive thing.
However, he objects to Wike seizing leadership of the party, calling it an anomaly. He recalled Wike’s previous criticism of the APC, saying, It was the same Wike who said the APC is cancer stage four and the PDP is malaria.
But he’s welcome if he’s suddenly understood that our cancer is better than the malaria he’s got. Wokocha believes that Wike would be doing Rivers State inhabitants a disservice if he were to run the state.
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According to him, the APC has appropriate leadership, including Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, and himself.
Finally, while praising President Bola Tinubu’s efforts, Wokocha stated, however, nobody should take credit for what is not his own, and nobody should claim what is not theirs. We will not condone such deception of our people.”
