Rivers Crisis: Nobody Can Destroy Wike’s Structure in Next 10 Years, Says State APC Chairman

•Declares FCT minister won’t leave PDP

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Caretaker  Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in River State, Chief Tony Okocha, has said that no politician in the state including Governor Siminilayi Fubara can dismantle the political structure of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nysom Wike, in the next 10 years.

Okocha while addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, also maintained that Wike would not join the ruling party.

He stated: “I don’t see any politician in the next 10 years torpedoing Wike’s structure, not even one. Like I said, I am not God but I am talking about what is within human possibilities. What I can see, it is not possible. Not so soon.

“The structure is embedded in the 23 LGAs of the state and they are can-do-men and women. 

“They are not the type of people who follow because of reward so to speak. They are ardent, unrepentant supporters, believers. Ten of Governor Fubara and his antics will not go 30 per cent into destroying Wike’s structure.”

Okocha emphasised that Wike is not a member of the APC, saying he would never leave the opposition party.

He added: “He has always said that the PDP made him what he is. He has always said that he would remain there. Wike will never leave the PDP. He is an ardent believer in the PDP. He is not likely to leave that group.

“Wike has never told anybody he wants to be a member of APC. Wike cannot be swayed from his membership and support for PDP.”

Okocha noted that the 27 Rivers lawmakers, who are currently engaging in a political battle with the state governor are also not members of the APC.

His words: “People say Wike has decamped to the APC. They also say that the 27 lawmakers currently fighting with Fubara have defected to the APC. I need to make this clear to everyone. Much as I wish to have them in my fold, none of them has agreed to join us.

“I am the one who should know if they did. But, clearly, they have not. What the lawmakers did was a political gimmick. I tried to woo them, but they kept vacillating and did not.

“To defect, they must go to their wards, register, and obtain their membership cards. None of them has done that.”

The chairman stressed that while Wike is not a member of APC, he is a member of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, “In Rivers, I am 001 in the APC, but in the Renewed Hope Agenda, I am 002. Wike is 001.”

Bearing his mind on the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the governor to prove the burning of three local governments in the state, Okocha said he won’t honour the invitation of the commission if he’s invited.

Recall that Fubara recently inagurated the judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the arson, killings, and destruction of property at various local government council Secretariat in the state.

The seven-member commission has Justice Ibiwengi Minakiri as Chairman; Mrs. Inyingi Brown as the Secretary; and Uzor Ikenga as the counsel.

When asked if he would honour the invitation of the judicial panel, Okocha said, “No! Until it is inclusive, I will not. I will not, you don’t rub Peter to pay Paul. You don’t deny he goat his wife because his thing is small.”

He stressed that it was not enough to set up a judicial commission of inquiry of the three LGAs burnt, without including the bombing of APC Secretariat and Rivers State Assembly.

According to him, “We are saying the governor should include all issues of arson since he took over. He should include the bombing of Rivers State House of Assembly. It should include the bombing of APC Secretariat, and it should also include the burning of the three local governments. We see the governor’s attempt as an attempt to witch hunt.”