RIVERS APC CRISIS DEEPENS AS WIKE, ABE JOSTLE FOR CONTROL

 

The crisis within Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC has worsened as former Governor Nyesom Wike has inched closer to officially decamping from his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after Sen. Magnus Abe announced his exit from the Social Democratic Party, SDP, back to the APC.

Wike, who has come under hammer in the state for allegedly influencing the decision of 25 lawmakers in the State House of Assembly to decamp from the PDP to the APC, is putting finishing touches to officially announce his joining the ruling party.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) visited the National Vice Chairman of the APC, Chief Victor Giadom, in Bera Community, Gokana Local Government Area – the same community Abe hails from.

Although Wike said the visit was not about politics, and should not be misinterpreted, it was a political realignment that is about to create three APC factions led by the immediate past Transportation minister, Rotimi Amaechi, Wike and Abe.

Wike’s visit was received with mixed reactions, but those against it, argue that he had the opportunity of considering an Ogoni as successor or a running mate to Fubara, but didn’t see anyone as qualified for the area.

The faction of Amaechi, through Chief Emeka Beke, has rejected outright the dissolution of the Chief Emeka Beke-led executive by the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, on the grounds that the tenure of the party’s executive in the state has not elapsed.

According to findings, despite Amaechi adopting a “sit-down-and-look” approach to the moves by Wike and Abe to take control of the party, his camp is preparing for a legal battle to take over the party’s leadership from Chief Tony Okocha, a known Wike ally, who Ganduje picked.

Also, Abe, who contested and lost the last governorship election with SDP following the refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to recognise the APC faction he led, is banking on the cordial relationship he once had with President Bola Tinubu, who visited him in London a few years ago after he was shot at a rally in Port Harcourt.