The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State asserts that Governor Nyesom Wike is finalizing plans to join the APC through the “backdoor,” despite his previous criticisms of the party. Darlington Nwauju, the APC’s state spokesperson, claimed as much in a statement made in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Mr. Nwauju also accused Mr. Wike of encouraging council chairmen in the state to solicit votes for Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate for the February 25 poll, in a “secretive” manner.
Mr. Nwauju stated that the APC is astonished that Mr. Wike, who has regularly disparaged the party and once called it a “disease,” would want to join. A week ago, the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council (PDP PCC) in the state asserted that Mr. Wike intended to join the APC. Abiye Sekibo, a director in the PDP PCC, reacted to the Rivers State Government’s cancellation of the approval previously granted to his party’s campaign council for the use of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt for the 11 February PDP presidential campaign rally by stating that Governor Wike lacks the courage to publicly campaign for Mr Tinubu.
Chris Finebone, the state’s Commissioner for Information, deemed “laughable” the idea that Mr. Wike was seeking a back entrance into the APC. Mr. Finebone stated that the APC was pursuing the governor. “Governor Wike’s high-wire politics are beyond the comprehension of the immature members of the Rivers APC and their collaborators. Hence, the several wild hypotheses. He stated that the governor owns all of the aces and is always in the lead.
“Governor Wike and each of us are committed PDP members. “If they choose to lose sleep over who we will choose for president, then so be it,” he added.
