Rivers APC to Tinubu: Wike deserves ministerial appointment
…Says Magnus, Ameachi sabotaged Asiwaju’s chances in Rivers
Leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state has thrown its weight behind the immediate-past governor of the state, Barrister Nyesom Wike to pick statutory ministerial appointment that will be zoned to the state.
The development is coming as the former Chief of Staff to Rotimi Ameachi as governor, Sir Tony Okocha, revealed how his former boss (Ameachi) and Senator Magnus Abe, almost sabotaged the electoral chances of President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 general elections.
Addressing a press conference, Tuesday in Abuja, Chief Okocha, 3ho was the Chairman, Local Organising Committee for Bola Tinubu Campaign Council in Rivers state said the immediate past governor Wike, worked hard to deliver Asiwaju’s victory in the state, hence he had been invited to join the party and become the leader.
According to Sir Okocha who is the current leader, former governor Ameachi worked against APC and Senator Magnus Abe delivered Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in his ward and zone during the election, hence both do not have moral justification to benefit anything from Asiwaju’s presidency.
Speaking on Magnus Abe’s role, Okocha said: “My worry is that you may just not have agreed to work with Tinubu. Its a different ball game. But that you worked with Tinubu and then at the point that you were needed the most, midsea, you abandoned ship. You rejected, you goofed, on your own. You ported to an another party or chose not to work for Tinubu again, and then only to return when the victory is here to say I was Tinubu’s first son. Does that work?
“He (Magnus) said that as a member of PSC that whilst they were reviewing states, visa vie how they stand the possibilities and impossibilities of Tinubu winning in the respective states, Rivers state was not counted in as one of the states whwrr Tinubu will score 25% at the time. So for him, remaining there would have been absurd. So he felt ‘okay, this man will not win, so let me go to another party to try my own personal interest.’ And I’m asking him when he got to this SDP Did he go there as an ordinary member? No, he went out and became the candidate of the party.
“Amaechi refused to be pacified, even when Tinubu visited him in his house and said let’s work together. He refused. He attended only two rallies, campaigns in whole of Nigeria.
“What I know is that the preponderance of those who supported Tinubu alongside me who stood and stuck to our guns for Tinubu, we gave ourselves a name, amalgamation of Tinubu, Shettima support groups on Rivers State. 48 groups. Now, the group had met after the election, the group met and we asked ourselves what the position was. In that meeting, it was not part of our agenda. We had a two point agenda. One, what brief as to what has happened.
“The second one was, what is the way forward. In the cause of that meeting, a motion was moved from the floorsaying to us that we should invite governor Wike to come over to APC and take over the leadership of APC. And when that motion was moved, it was followed with a standing ovation, spontaneous.
“The reason is when Ameachi had left. Magnus had left. What remained was the little that I could control and with this amalgamation of support groups, we wooed the PDP. Are you not aware of the G5. who was the man behind the G5?”
Okocha also said the governorship candidate of the APC, Tony Cole “was scared that if he identified with Tinubu, it will rub off on him in his own governorship quest. So for him it was safe not ever mentioned anything called Tinubu.”
When asked whether Wike has agreed to join the ruling APC, Okocha said: “He has not gotten back to us. I have said so. If he comes to my party, irrespective of the fact that I’m older than him in the party. But the common thing is that he was governor. I will not surpridend over him. He will be my leader.”
