Tony Okocha, chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers, has said that the political structure of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike in the state is intact.
Okocha, who spoke with reporters in Abuja, accused Governor Sim Fubara of engineering the protracted political crisis in the state.
Okocha, who predicted that the APC would take over the state in 2027, faulted the setting up of a committee to probe the violence that trailed the inauguration of 23 council chairmen, saying that its terms of reference do not capture the burning of the APC secretariat.
He described Wike as Fubara’s mentor, saying that he would not have been governor without the strong backing of the former governor.
His words: “No politician will allow his structure to be dismantled. When you do that, it means that you have no home to fall back to. Wike made it possible for Fubara to emerge as governor. Fubara was never a politician.
“Fubara is creating problems for himself. It is our business to demarket him and his party for us to win in 2027. I can say to you that for the next 10 years, I do not see any politician destroying the political structure Wike has in Rivers State.
“I’m not God, but I’m talking about what is possible within human possibility. Wike’s structure cannot be destroyed. It is not possible, not so soon. Let’s leave it there.
“The structure is embedded in the 23 local government areas of the state and the men and women are not the kind of the people who follow those who do not have capacity.
“Ten of Governor Fubara and his antics cannot destroy Wike’s structure. Many people are saying that as APC Chairman in Rivers, why am I working with Wike, and I say is Wike not working with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu? So, he is not my enemy and so he is my friend and we are working to ensure the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is felt by Nigerians.
“Wike has his tentacles spread all over. We are doing enough to let Rivers people know that we need a change of party. APC will soon take over Rivers State with time. The Ijaws hosting Wike is strategic. It is just to tell the minister that they are grateful for giving their son an opportunity to be governor after abandoning other aspirants”.
