The Rivers State APC leadership has supported Barrister Nyesom Wike, the state’s immediately-past governor, in his choice of statutory ministerial appointments that will be zoned to the state.
The news comes as Sir Tony Okocha, who served as Rotimi Amaechi’s chief of staff while he served as governor, revealed how Senator Magnus Abe and his former boss, Amaechi, nearly ruined President Bola Tinubu’s chances of winning the 2023 general elections.
At a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, Chief Okocha, the chairman of the local organizing committee for Bola Tinubu’s campaign in Rivers state, claimed that Wike, the previous governor, had worked hard to ensure Asiwaju’s victory in the state and had thus invited him to join the party and take the lead.
The current leader, Sir Okocha, claims that Senator Magnus Abe and former governor Amaechi have no moral justification for gaining from Asiwaju’s presidency because they both worked against the APC during the election and delivered the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in their wards and zones, respectively.
Okocha said the following in reference to Magnus Abe’s function:.
My concern is that perhaps you simply did not consent to collaborate with Tinubu. It’s a different game altogether. However, you worked with Tinubu before abandoning the ship in the middle of the sea, where you were most needed. You failed on your own and rejected it. You left for another party or decided not to work for Tinubu once more, and you came back only to claim I was Tinubu’s first son after the victory. Does that function?
Magnus claimed that as a member of the PSC, he was aware that Rivers state was not included in the states where Tinubu would have received a minimum of 25% of the vote when they were reviewing the states to determine whether or not he had a chance of winning. Therefore, it would have been absurd for him to stay there. So, he reasoned, “Okay, this man won’t win; let me go to another party to try my own personal interest.”.
He didn’t join the SDP as an ordinary member; instead, he went out and ran for the party’s nomination, so I’m asking him if that’s how he joined.
Even after Tinubu visited Amaechi at home and offered to collaborate, Amaechi remained unconvinced. He declined. In all of Nigeria, he only went to two rallies and campaigns.
What I do know is that the majority of the Tinubu and Shettima support groups in Rivers State stood firm in our support for Tinubu, and with my help, we gave ourselves that name. 48 teams. Now that the election was over, the group got together and we discussed our positions. It wasn’t on the agenda for that meeting. We had a two-point plan of action. What happened, in brief, first?
In the context of that meeting, a motion was made from the floor urging us to invite Governor Wike to join APC and take over the party’s leadership. The second question was, “What is the way forward?”. And when that motion was made, a standing ovation naturally followed.
When Amaechi departed is the cause. Magnus was gone.
We courted the PDP using what was left of my limited power and this conglomeration of support organizations.
Do you not know that the G5 was the brainchild of the G5?
