JUST IN: Why Wike deserves Rivers ministerial slot – Tony Okocha

Former Chief of Staff to Rivers State Governor, Chief Tony Okocha, has made a strong case for the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to be given the ministerial slot meant for the state, arguing that the victory of President Tinubu was in the state was made possible by Wike.

Chief Okocha, who addressed a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, stated that neither the Social Democratic Party’s Governor’s candidate, Magnus Abe, nor the former transport minister, Amaechi, deserves the slot, having not worked for Tinubu’s success, as Wike did.

Okocha pointed out that while Amaechi did not support Tinubu’s presidency after failing to clinch the presidential ticket at the primary, Abe worked for the SDP to actualize his governorship ambition and the victory of the party’s presidential candidate against Tinubu.

Okocha revealed that apart from directing his Peoples Democratic Party’s supporters to vote for Tinubu during the presidential election, Wike also provided what he called ‘materials, logistics and necessary support’ that aided the victory of Tinubu in Rivers State.

Okocha said, “While Wike provided the needed support to aid Tinubu’s victory in Rivers State, I was the person, who coordinated such efforts as the Chairman of the Logistics and Protocol Committee of the Presidential Campaign Council and member of the council in Rivers State.

“I want to say authoritatively that without the active support and direction of Wike, Tinubu would have lost Rivers State to Peter Obi of the Labour Party. Without any iota of doubt, Wike played more than 70 percent of the role that gave rise to Tinubu’s success in Rivers State.

“There is no gainsaying the fact that Wike was the game-changer in Rivers State for Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election. That is why we urge President Tinubu to ignore any other aspirant for the ministerial slot for Rivers State and give it no other person that Nyesom Wike as a reciprocation of his role during the presidential poll.

“It is through the active role and support of Wike that Rivers State voted massively for Tinubu and went ahead to elect a PDP governor, prod three senators, 12 out of the 13 members of the House of Representatives and 32 members of the state House of Assembly in Rivers State,” Okocha boasted.

The former CoS said the APC in Rivers State was ready and willing to receive former Governor Wike into APC if he decides to leave PDP and join the same party with President Tinubu.

Meanwhile, the man, who took over as the Acting Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, Omiete Efrebo, has cried out that he the party leadership has not recognized him to operate in that capacity as ordered by the court.

Efrebo, who flanked Okocha at the press conference, said he was stopped by the APC from attending a meeting of officials in Abuja called by the party, a development he said was unacceptable to him as the person recognized by the law to operate as the acting chairman of the party.

It will be recalled that a Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice D.G Kio had on April 13, 2023 granted leave to Efrebo to act as the chairman of the party in the state pending the hearing and determination of the motion of interlocutory injunction.