The All Progressives Congress, APC leader Rivers state chapter, Chief Tony Okocha, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has no reason or justification to give the state’s ministerial slot to either former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, or Senator Magnus Abe, stressing that both men undermined his election in Rivers State.
However, Okocha advised Tinubu to pick the immediate-past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, as minister from the state.
He stressed that Wike supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition both financially and materially.
Okocha, who spoke with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, alleged that it was an open secret that Amaechi worked for the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, while Abe, who obtained the governorship ticket of the Social Democratic Party, supported the SDP flag bearer.
Okocha, who was the Chief of Staff to Amaechi when he was the Rivers State governor, said, ‘’The point I’m making is neither Amaechi and his group nor Magnum Abe and his group worked for Tinubu. What helped us in Rivers State is the stupidity of the PDP, we all know. At the center of that is the spin doctor, Nyesom Wike, governor of my state.
“Wike gave instructions to his PDP family because they had no candidate to vote for. (He said) ‘Work with APC,’ and it was me they were coming to work with because I was the arrowhead (of the APC).
‘‘Abe had left, Amaechi had left. I’m bold to say that Wike took care of the election bills. He was the one that paid the piper. Without Wike’s huge support, material and financial, (Peter) Obi could have swept River State.
“Even to localize Wike to Rivers State, you are short-cutting and short-circuiting his influence. If the G-5 governors were intact with the PDP, PDP would have won.’’
On why Tinubu should reward Wike with a ministerial appointment, Okocha said, “If Wike, who was in the PDP, could support the APC to win, why is it that the APC, having won, cannot also recompense the man who helped us to win?”
