Sir Tony Okocha, the acting chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers state, has disclosed a scheme to seize control of the party and subjugate it to the state apparatus in an attempt to thwart President Bola Tinubu’s reelection in 2027.
According to Okocha, the State Working Committee suspended Emeka Beke and Barr. Iheanyichukwu Dike for their anti-party activities. Additionally, he asserted that the APC was not involved in the legal action that resulted in the caretaker committee’s dismissal and Emeka Beke’s reinstatement as chairman by the Rivers State High Court.
“Beke was imposed on the APC in Rivers state,” stated Okocha. I was a member of the APC and an associate of Senator Magnus Abe throughout his internal battles. We fought because of imposition, political haughtiness, and incompetence.
“We imagine how a person of lowly academic qualifications can preside over a meeting that some of us would attend,” he said, accusing Beke of being an imposter and possessing low intellectual qualifications. In actuality, he was looking for a stooge or surrogate who would carry out his orders.
Okocha alleged that there is an intention to use Beke to fight President Tinubu in 2027, saying: “There is an intention to throw up Amaechi’s man and then he becomes the APC leader and then use the APC to fight Mr President in 2027. We will never allow that.”
He also criticized Beke for referring to Rotimi Amaechi as the leader of the party in Rivers and the South South, saying: “Amaechi and his group aligned with PDP’s Atiku while Wike and his group from the PDP worked with us.”
Okocha stated that the APC in Rivers state will not go back to its “social club status” and that they will use the law to challenge the court judgment, saying: “We are in court. We are law abiding… We will use the law and we are ready to go the whole hug to the supreme court.”