By Joy Odor
The State Party Caretaker Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) River State chapter, Tony Okocha on Friday told the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) that the approach of brow-beating and blackmailing intend to use against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC state chapter and the Minister of the FCT, Nyeson Wike is not fashionable at all.
Okocha’s warning is sequel to a text of Press conference hosted yesterday by some unrepentant Atiku/PDP supporters in Rivers, pointing out that allowing their lies to go unchallenged and fester, would distort the true records, hence, we put out a quick response as counter examples to the blatant lies they peddled and canvassed.
He made this known in a press conference at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, reminding Sekibo and co-travellers that a tripe document as the one signed by two persons, without office or any authority whatsoever, can’t hold, except as they couched it.
While describing actions of the group as, a cul-de-sac, Okocha noted that the wicked subterfuge cannot work under his watch, this assembly of protesters did not only vehemently carry out rigorous and excruciating campaigns against Asiwaju but they thrumped up and funded hate speeches against him.
“Our initial thought was to ignore the cul de sac machinated by the defeated and conquered politicians, who led the failed onslaught to lie, barefaced, to Nigerians on the Gov. Siminalayi Fubara’s self-inflicted political fisticuffs in Rivers State.
“The second reason why we would have opted for the choice of consigning the complete puerile text to the trashcan and don’t bother with it, is that the presenters lucidly introduced themselves as unrepentant leaders of Atiku’s 2023 Presidential Campaign in Rivers State and so forayed into their intra-party squabbles.
“We couldn’t have joined them in that Rivers PDP gymnastic arena. It would have been completely nonsensical. But in their attempt to being clever by half, they drew the irk of genuine APC Rivers Leaders and members, particularly the
adherents of Renewed Hope Agenda in Rivers State, through the unguided spews in their presentation.”
“The undeniable fact of the matter is that all those that lined up on that table and signatories to the text in issue are still ardent believers of His Excellency Atiku Abubakar. It was deliberate and intentional.”Res ipsa loquitor.
“These persons can never forgive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, His Excellency N.Wike and APC Rivers over the sin of their woeful electoral defeat.
“Of course, it follows therefore, that anyone whose action or inaction, contributed to their dangerous fall, is inadvertently their sworn enemy. No wonder, they are surreptitiously targeting to cut out a pound of flesh from the Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, His Excellency, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike.
“This wicked subterfuge cannot work under our watch. Nigerians know the circumstances and situations and scenarios that played out uniquely in 5 PDP-controlled states in the build-up to the 2023 Presidential election and the aftermaths/concomitant churn out.
Political crisis in Rivers State is self-inflicted, I reiterate. Both the Governor of Rivers State and the 32 Assembly members were of the same party and family, with His Excellency Nyesom Wike, as father. Why is it the case that 27 Assembly members opted for the opposition party, APC, in Rivers State? Does anyone think strongly that as full-blown adults, anyone else can lead them by the nose? Or does anyone think that anyone can sit pretty on their noses? What of the remaining 3 members still in PDP and with Governor Fubara?Are they also robots?
“The Crisis is about crass inactivity and cluelessness and rudderlessness of the Governor and the penchant of the legislators to whip him to line latching on the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances.
“Rivers State is more than drifting to a pariah state, to atrophying into abysmal oblivion to say the least. How does it concern the Honourable Minister of the FCT serving under our
beloved APC-led Federal Government, who had long left the rostrum of power in Rivers State Government House?
“I am aware that despite our entreaties to the Honourable Minister of the FCT, to join us in APC with his winning magic wand, he still believes in PDP. If the Minister is PDP and the Governor, PDP, is it not apt to say that the bedeviling problems in Rivers State are intra-party?
“If the protesters feel concerned, shouldn’t it be honourable for them to look inwards to seek solutions to the problems than constituting themselves as snitches and fifth columnists and crisis merchants and so to justify their lucre, cast aspersions on the Abuja transformer and reformer, Honorable Minister E. N. Wike?
“Why do they want to further insult Mr. President and APC by telling him that he as leader of APC, appointed a kleptocrat into his cabinet as Minister?
When have they repented and withdrawn their suits in court, challenging the Powers of Mr. President to mediate in the political crisis in Rivers State?
“Have they repented from emboldening Governor Fubara to disrespect Mr. President by refusing to implement all the indices on the 8~point Presidential Proclamation, as panacea to the political crisis in Rivers State, which by their actions, they have continued to fuel?
“If they have respect for Mr. President as they mouth, why would they publicly condemn and refer to as illegal, a proper Assembly made up of 27 members out of now 30 (note that the Rivers State Assembly seats are 32, One member died and one claims to have resigned), Who are all members of the APC, even when Mr. President in index – 6 of the Presidential proclamation, recognized them as the legitimate Assembly in Rivers State and instructed Governor Fubara to present the 2024 State budget to the legitimate Assembly led by Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule” stressed.
