The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Caretaker Committee in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has expressed interest in becoming the new chairman of the state chapter of the party.
In an interview with PUNCH Online on Tuesday, Okocha, a loyalist of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, said the state needed a vibrant leader to reposition the APC six months after the Emeka Beke-led executives were dissolved.
The politician, however, mentioned that he would first consult and seek his wifeโs approval before entering the race.
He said, โOur leadership, from the ward to the state level, will come through consensus. Thatโs why I used the word โseamless.โ As it stands, I am eligible to contest. If the system trusts my capability, I will simply step down from the caretaker committee.
โBut Iโll also need to ask my wife, as she is my chief confidant. If she agrees, Iโll do my best. The APC in Rivers State needs a very dynamic person in charge, so the state can truly be called โRivers of Possibilitiesโ and the โTreasure Base of the Nation.โ We cannot afford to lag.โ
The dissolution of the Beke-led executive by the partyโs National Working Committee sparked controversy, with the ousted officers seeking redress in court.
Their dismissal was eventually overturned two months ago by a Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt, the state capital. However, the APC NWC has remained steadfast in supporting Okochaโs caretaker committee over reinstating the former executive.
Okochaโs leadership of the party has been a thorn in the side of Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party loyal to him.
The Okocha-led APC enjoys a strong relationship with the Wike faction of the PDP, and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly lawmakers recently announced their defection to the APC under Okochaโs leadership.
The chances of the Beke-led executive being reinstated were effectively eliminated when the partyโs NWC set new dates for the rescheduled elective congresses to choose a new executive for the Rivers APC chapter.
The new dates were announced in a statement issued in Abuja by the partyโs National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka.
According to the revised schedule, the Rivers APC will hold its ward congress on 16 November 2024.
The local government congress will follow a week later, on 23 November 2024, and the state congress will take place on Saturday, 30 November 2024.
Welcoming the decision, Okocha, who served as Chief of Staff to former Governor Rotimi Amaechi from 2007 to 2015, expressed confidence that the best officers would be elected.
โThat is the calendar handed over to us and published for the public. I assure you we are putting in the effort to ensure the congresses, from ward to state, proceed seamlessly.
โYou wonโt hear us protesting or going to court over this. We are working with key stakeholders and have promised that selecting all the officers will not be a battlefield. It wonโt be business as usual,โย heย stated.
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