Posted by Tony Okocha, the chairperson of the local organizing committee for the dissolved Tinubu-Shettima campaign council in Rivers State, believes Nyesom Wike deserves to be nominated as a minister by the President.
Remember that previous to the 2023 elections, Wike led the Integrity Group (G-5) of five governors who worked against the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
However, the PDP’s internal conflict aided President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who won Rivers State.
Okocha, a former chief of staff to APC State Leader Rotimi Amaechi, told a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday that Wike fought hard for Tinubu’s victory in the presidential election.
“We named ourselves after Tinubu and Shettima support groups in Rivers state.” It was a 48-group coalition.
“Now, after the election, the group met, and we asked ourselves what our position was.” It was not on the agenda for that meeting. We had two goals in mind. One was concise in his description of what had occurred.
“The second was, what is the next step?” As a result of the meeting, a motion was made to encourage Governor Wike to join the APC and take over the leadership of the APC in Rivers.
“When that motion was moved, it was met with a spontaneous standing ovation.”
“The reason is because Amaechi left. Magnus walked away. What was left was the little I could control, and we wooed the PDP with this coalition of support groups. Are you unfamiliar with the G5? “Who was the G5’s mastermind?” According to Okocha.
He did, however, state that if he joins the APC, he will take Wike as his leader.
“Why don’t you invite someone who is more important than you?” Are we going to tell him to come to us in 2027 to assist us win if he helped us win in 2023? Why don’t we bring him in because he has something to offer? Today, no politician in Rivers state can compete with Wike. Nobody in Rivers State can stand up to Wike. He is unrivaled.
“We are arguing that whatever is owed to Rivers state should be given to Wike because he knows who worked for Tinubu in Rivers.” I would have claimed everything because I was the last man standing after everyone else fled, but we’re arguing, “Look, this man contributed more.” He went on to say.