The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has written to President Bola Tinubu, intimating him about attempt some unnamed paid agents to bring in the former governor of the state, Mr. Nyesom Wike to take over the leadership of the party.
In an open letter to Tinubu dated July 6 and signed by the APC spokesman in the state, Mr. Darlington Nwauju, the party said recognising Wike would undermine the loyalty of party members who had kept faith with the APC.
The party called on the president to reject Wike’s overtures to stealthily foist himself on the party in order to take control of its structures in the state.
It told the president to be wary of Wike and his foot soldiers, saying the former governor’s claim of working for the part is a ruse.
He contended that if the former governor truly worked for the party in 2019, he should have won for the APC 1,487,075 votes he delivered to PDP in 2015 presidential election.
He recalled that the APC polled 69,238 votes in that election and 150, 710 while the PDP had 473,971.
“We wish to clear the air that Governor Wike did not deliver any value to our dear Rivers State APC. Mr. President Sir, we wish to recall that during the 2015 presidential election, APC members in Rivers state and their families faced unquantifiable brutality with countless casualties. Yet the Rivers APC resisted the onslaught of former Governor Wike led aggression on innocent party followers and members.
“Comparing the performance of the 2019 presidential election where Governor Wike claimed 473,971 votes in favour of PDP, with APC recording 150,710 just have a difference of 80,881 votes.
“Governor Wike claiming victory of pulling 80,881 new votes is only to undermine loyal and dedicated APC members and we the stakeholders.
“Dear Mr. President, we wish to clear the air that Gov Wike did not deliver any value to our dear Rivers State APC, rather he fought against our dear Rivers APC as the numbers above speaks for itself.
“If former Governor Wike did work for us, where is the 1,487,075 votes he delivered to PDP in 2015 presidential election, where is the 473,971 votes he delivered in favour of PDP in 2019 presidential election,” he said.
“And this 2023 brought a huge positive gain of over 45% of total votes cast in Rivers State. These are the giant strides made by gallant and organic believers of APC in Rivers State who understand the deals of APC by standing firm,” he stated.
Nwauju pointed out that Wike knew that APC won both the presidential and gubernatorial elections in Rivers State in 2019 and in the just concluded 2023 general election despite his usual onslaught which we resisted vehemently.
“If Governor Wike claimed to work for APC in Rivers State, how could the total votes cast in the 2023 presidential election be 495,130…about the same total number of votes he claimed in favour of his party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential elections.
“If Governor Wike claim he worked in favor of APC presidency in this last 2023 presidential election, how come he couldn’t deliver the same 1,487,075 he delivered in 2015 presidential elections or even the 473,971 he fought to deliver in favour of his PDP in the 2019 presidential elections.
“We know that your leadership will not allow those who believe in political thuggery, those known by local and international community as perpetual abusers of our democratic stability and mischief markers, whose thrive is money mongering to hijack our dear Rivers APC because they now see party politics as tradable commodity but we are well able to continue to resist them.”
However, Mr Tony Okocha, former chief of staff to the ex-minister of transportation, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said in an interview that Wike played a significant role to Tinubu’s victory in the state.
He stated that the activities of G5, which Wike was its arrowhead, was instrumental to the success of Tinubu in Nigeria, “whether anybody likes it or not.”
He said the APC won 12 states and the PDP, 10, stressing that had the PDP worked together, it would have won the election.
They would have taken these other five to add to their own.
He said if Wike helped the APC in 2023 in the state, he should take charge of the party.
“If you have somebody in politics that can bring value, that can add value even more than you, why don’t you invite the person? If he helped us to win in 2023, are we now also going to say to him while in PDP, come to us in 2027 to help us win? Why don’t we bring him in and say takeover because he has value to add? No politician in Rivers State, I stand to be challenged today, can surmount Wike.
“Have they not tried it? Is it Amaechi? Wike flogged us. Is it Magnus? Wike flogged him.
“We have said whatever is due to us as our own slot in Rivers should be handed over to Wike because he knows who and who worked for Tinubu in Rivers. Are we being selfish? I should have said give me. I was the last man standing when everybody took off. But we are saying ‘look, this man contributed more,”’ he said.
