Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state, Tony Okocha, has commended Governor Nyesom Wike for his unflinching support to the victory of the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju  Bola Tinubu during  the February 25 election in the state.

Okocha, who was the Chairman, Local Organising Committee, APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Rivers, also declared support for Wike’s choice of candidate in the state, as a way to reciprocate his gesture for Tinubu’s victory in Rivers.

The APC leader spoke yesterday in a conference held in Port Harcourt, while expressing gratitude to Rivers people, especially those who he said ensured the victory of the president elect, in the state.

He said despite challenges experienced during campaigns for Tinubu, the party had a meritorious victory against the experience of 2015 and 2019 in the state.

“We thank the Rivers electorate for trusting us when we appealed to their sensibilities and reasonableness to vote massively for Asiwaju  Tinubu in the just-concluded presidential election in Rivers state.

“We note seriously and unashamedly, that in 2015, we held the rims of governance in Rivers state as members of the APC. We pulled together all efforts individually and collectively, yet we couldn’t secure 25 per cent of the total votes cast for the presidential candidate of our party during the presidential election.

“It was worse in 2019, when we all still working together with a Super Minister, security apparatus  and malleable election personnel, we couldn’t produce the required 25 per cent for our presidential candidate.

“But in 2023, against all expectations APC Rivers won and secured over 40 per cent of the total votes cast for the presidential candidate of our party. On this score, we thank our members who refused to defect to other political parties at the glaring frustrations and seeming hopelessness, but kept faith with the Asiwaju/Shettima political philosophy.

“Of tremendous note, is to put on records, the role of Governor Ezenwo Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, a leading member of the G5 Governors ( integrity group) who not only threw his heavy weight in Political maestro and “maverism “in support of the APC candidate but encouraged Rivers people to vote the man who will protect the Rivers interest for president of Nigeria.

“This, to say the least, was the game changer. Thank You Governor Wike. The political bulldozer.”

When asked if they will support the governor’s candidate in the state for the March 11 governorship election, Okocha said: “We cannot be said to be doing anti-party. The reason why we said so is that here seated is supporters of Ahmed Bola Tinubu who contested election to be president of federal republic of Nigeria.

“To those who supported us, we will support them also. We are only to reciprocate what we got. We are doing something not different from what is natural, what is expected, what is reasonable to be done.”