A faction of the Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) paid a visit to the national chairman of the party, Umar Ganduje, on Thursday and informed him that Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, is the leader APC political infantry in the State.
Wike is the immediate past Governor of Rivers State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and is yet to publicly switch camp to the APC, although he worked for the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, in February’s presidential poll.
Led by Tony Okocha, ex-Chief of Staff to another former Governor of River State, and former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, the faction urged the APC chairman to deal with Wike and ignore any other person or group claiming to be APC leaders in the State.
Okocha, who led a large delegation of APC chieftains, alleged that those who earlier visited Ganduje and claimed to be representing he party’s interests in Rivers State, were impostors who actually worked against APC and Tinubu at the polls.
Cole therefore, urged Ganduje to look the way of his factional members who regard Wike as their leader, when opportunities for political appointments and other favours arise for Rivers APC members.
His words: “We pray Mr. Chairman to discountenance the machinations of the pretenders, who via hues and cries and trumping up lies, want to negate the natural law that aptly recommends that “one reaps where the one sows.”
“Those persons never supported the party nor are they sincere in their hearts, to be happy that President Tinubu made it to the Presidency.
“The only group in APC Rivers state legitimate to seek compensation for the victory of APC/Tinubu in RIvers state, is the one here. Please contact us through the leader of the political infantry in Rivers state, who is serving in the federal cabinet presently.”
In his response, Ganduje noted that APC’s victory in the presidential ballot in Rivers State was short of a miracle courtesy of Wike, but warned all warring factions there to give peace a chance and not overheat the polity.
He charged them to allow the national leadership of the APC to deploy available conflict resolution strategiesa to resolve their differences.
According to him: “There is no doubt River state is a very important state in Nigeria, an oil state and also a reasonably population, which is an asset for election and an asset to any political party. So you can see how we cannot rubbish the state, Rivers as a state in politics is a very important state.
“Our party in River State is highly fictionalised, that is a fact about it. Our party in River state was killed by litigations, that one is a fact. And one important question that you asked is how come we won presidential election and lost state election. You said that was a miracle. Yes, if you say a miracle, there must be a messiah.
“We have to thank and congratulate you over the positive outcome of the election and what you did was as a result of what we are enjoying now. Because without winning federal election across many states, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed could not have become the president of this country.
“We have to congratulate you for that. What we are saying, is that yes, there is confusion in the party, but we don’t want members to overheat the system. We are focused, we are organised, we work scientifically in politics.
“Therefore, give us an enabling environment, give us a chance so that we can put a round peg in a round hole, square peg in a square hole to maintain our dignity as a party.
“We have to capitalize on what we have, we have to capitalize on the fact that we have worn the national election in River state.
“We are not extracting anything less again, but give us a chance to see how we can have both the states and the national election together. Whatever it is we have received your address and the party will come in and see how we can get a solid party leaderships that we can move forward.
“But what we are begging is do not overheat the system. In overheating the system, some will go for litigation and then a vicious cycle will come again. We don’t want too much analysis because they say too much analysis leads to paralysis. So give us a chance so that we can consult, so that we look at the constitution of APC and then we wait and see how we can put things in order.”
