- He said Amaechi and Abe worked against Tinubu
- Okocha said wike supported Tinubu financially and materially
- He said Peter Obi would have swept Rivers if not for Wike
A leader of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, says it will stand against reason and good judgement for President Bola Tinubu to give former governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi, a ministerial appointment.
He also said the gubernatorial candidate of the social democratic party in the last election in the state, Senator Magnus Abe, does not deserve a sit in Tinubu’s cabinet.
He disclosed that both men worked against Tinubu’s victory in the oil rich southern state during the last presidential election.
Okocha, who made the disclosure while addressing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja, asked Tinubu to pick the immediate-past Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, as minister from the state.
According to him, Wike supported Tinubu’s presidential ambition with everything he has, noting Labour Party would’ve swept the state hadn’t it been for Wike l.
He 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 centre of that is the spin doctor, Nyesom Wike, governor of my state.
“Since the inception of the PDP in 1998, Rivers State has been a haven for the PDP. It has won elections back to back. Even when we were in government, PDP still defeated us (in Rivers).
“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 localise 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?”