Wike Didn’t Deliver Rivers Votes To Tinubu, He’s Welcome To APC But Okorocha Remains Leader — Wokocha
Former Commissioner for Power and coordinator for the now-defunct Tinubu/Shettima Grassroot Independent Campaign Council in Rivers State, Augustine Wokocha, has trashed reports that former governor Nyesom Wike cooperated with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead the February 25 presidential election.
Wokocha stated that the All Progressives Congress (APC) welcomed Wike to the Party but that Rotimi Amaechi, the former minister of transportation, is still Party leader in the State.
Information Nigeria had reported that former Chief of Staff at the state Government House, Tony Okocha, at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Thursday called on Wike to defect to the APC and lead the Party in the State.
Recall that Wike, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and four of his fellow PDP governors opposed Atiku Abubakar’s bid for the presidency and demanded that Iyorchia Ayu, the then Party’s national chairman, resign.
Though Wike did not openly campaign for Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the APC, reports alleged he asked his supporters to work for the Party.
There are also insinuations that the former governor may be given an appointment by the President, having visited him after inauguration severally.
However, Wokocha responding to Okocha at a briefing in Port Harcourt on Friday, said the claims that Wike solely delivered the State to Tinubu in the last election and deserved to be rewarded was untrue.
READ ALSO: APC Ready To Recieve Wike – Chieftain, Okocha
“The victory of Bola Tinubu in the last election in Rivers State cannot be given to one individual. It is a combination of the over 200,000 votes from Rivers State, who voted for the man who is our President today.
“I ran the campaign for the Tinubu election. I can’t remember anywhere, anytime when the immediate past governor of Rivers State canvassed any support for the President.
“I can’t remember any forum when he referred to the candidate of our party. He did not direct his people to vote for him, to my knowledge. So I don’t know what Okocha meant by Wike immensely contributed to Tinubu’s victory. So, it is important we continue to appreciate Rivers people. Of course, people worked and those who did the canvassing to convince people that Tinubu was a better candidate also deserve our appreciation and gratitude,” Wokocha said.
He furthered that he was not opposed to Wike joining the APC if he desires to, but that the Party has a leader and is not in search of one.
“Candidly, politics is the more the merrier. So, Wike coming to the APC is a welcome development. What is an aberration is to say Wike should come and take over the party. This is the same party that its members were hounded like grasshoppers by the man who is being invited to join the party today.
“It was the same Wike who said APC is cancer stage four and the PDP is malaria. But he is welcome if he has suddenly realised that our cancer is better than the malaria he is suffering from,” he stated
According to him, Tinubu had started well and anyone who gets an appointment would be celebrated, “but nobody should take credit that is not their own and take claims that are not theirs. We won’t allow our people to be misled.”
Full Story: https://www.informationng.com/2023/06/wike-didnt-deliver-rivers-votes-to-tinubu-hes-welcome-to-apc-but-okorocha-remains-leader-wokocha.html
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