As the struggle intensifies over who will become President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s preferred choice for a ministerial appointment in Rivers State, major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state have leveled accusations against former governor Nyesom Wike, claiming that he is attempting to benefit from the February 25 presidential election without having contributed to it.
These stakeholders further alleged that Wike’s ambition to secure a ministerial appointment serves as a launching pad for his presidential bid in 2027.
Recently, a group of significant APC stakeholders, led by former Chief of Staff to the Rivers State Government and party stalwart Chief Tony Okocha, urged Tinubu to seriously consider Nyesom Wike for a ministerial appointment due to the role they claim he played in ensuring Tinubu’s victory in the state during the presidential election.
In response, the APC stakeholders, represented by Magnus Abe on behalf of the Tinubu/Shettima Independent Campaign Council (ICC), strongly condemned the calls for Wike’s consideration for a ministerial appointment. Abe explained that during the presidential election, he made significant contributions that led to Tinubu’s victory in the state, contrasting it with Wike’s impact.
Abe stated, “Politics is a game of numbers. Wike’s support can be seen as seeking a safe haven after losing in every political equation. He is considering the Tinubu presidency as a safe haven and the battle for offices as a war chest for the next election because we know him.”
He also expressed his opposition to Wike joining the APC, clarifying that while there are several former governors in the party, none of them had claimed ownership of the party’s structure. Abe emphasized his support for Tinubu, saying, “I am speaking as an ardent supporter of Tinubu. In the governorship, I stood with Magnus, no apologies.”
Kabari, speaking on behalf of the stakeholders, dismissed the contributions highlighted by Tony Okocha as false, accusing Wike’s camp of trying to reap where they had not sown.
Kabari said, “Okocha and his co-travelers should be ashamed because the state of Rivers and the elections can be likened to the biblical analogy of the husbandman and the partakers of the first fruit. We had people who cleared the bush, tilled the soil, planted the seeds, and watered it. At the point of growth, everybody finds their branch in different political aspirations. Those contributions are false.”
He cautioned against engaging in a campaign of calumny against Magnus Abe and other political actors, urging a focus on honesty, capacity, merit, and fairness as guiding principles in political pursuits.
