Wike’s loyalist, Okocha, eyes Rivers APC chairmanship seat

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has expressed interest in becoming the new chairman of the state chapter of the party.

In an interview with PUNCH Online on Tuesday, Okocha, a loyalist of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the state needed a vibrant leader to reposition the APC six months after the Emeka Beke-led executives were dissolved.

The politician, however, mentioned that he would first consult and seek his wife’s approval before entering the race.

He said, “Our leadership, from the ward to the state level, will come through consensus. That’s why I used the word ‘seamless.’ As it stands, I am eligible to contest. If the system trusts my capability, I will simply step down from the caretaker committee.

“But I’ll also need to ask my wife, as she is my chief confidant. If she agrees, I’ll do my best. The APC in Rivers State needs a very dynamic person in charge, so the state can truly be called ‘Rivers of Possibilities’ and the ‘Treasure Base of the Nation.’ We cannot afford to lag.”

The dissolution of the Beke-led executive by the party’s National Working Committee sparked controversy, with the ousted officers seeking redress in court.

Their dismissal was eventually overturned two months ago by a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital. However, the APC NWC has remained steadfast in supporting Okocha’s caretaker committee over reinstating the former executive.

Okocha’s leadership of the party has been a thorn in the side of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to him.

The Okocha-led APC enjoys a strong relationship with the Wike faction of the PDP, and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly lawmakers recently announced their defection to the APC under Okocha’s leadership.

The chances of the Beke-led executive being reinstated were effectively eliminated when the party’s NWC set new dates for the rescheduled elective congresses to choose a new executive for the Rivers APC chapter.

The new dates were announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.

According to the revised schedule, the Rivers APC will hold its ward congress on 16 November 2024.

The local government congress will follow a week later, on 23 November 2024, and the state congress will take place on Saturday, 30 November 2024.

Welcoming the decision, Okocha, who served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi from 2007 to 2015, expressed confidence that the best officers would be elected.

“That is the calendar handed over to us and published for the public. I assure you we are putting in the effort to ensure the congresses, from ward to state, proceed seamlessly.

“You won’t hear us protesting or going to court over this. We are working with key stakeholders and have promised that selecting all the officers will not be a battlefield. It won’t be business as usual,” he stated.