By Akinwale Kasali
Less than 24 hours after some People Democratic Party, PDP, heavyweights in Rivers State pledged their loyalty and allegiance to President Bola Tinubu and Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, the All Progressives Congress, APC, has labeled their action as hypocritical.
The Stalwarts of the PDP who pledged their support to President Tinubu were one time loyalists to PDP Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar prior to the February 25th, 2023 Presidential Election, prompting the APC to question their loyalty.
The APC said it is deeply concerned that those who said the most unthinkable things against Tinubu as its Presidential candidate in 2023, are now the same persons offering support, describing them as tongue-in-cheek politicians and mid-night pseudo lovers of Mr President.
It would be recalled that on Thursday, the former Director General of PDP campaign Council, Abiye Sekibo, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State Capital said, rising from a meeting of the leadership of the former Rivers State PDP Presidential Campaign Council and members of the PDP in Rivers State, they decided to declare support for President Tinubu and Governor Fubara.
They however threw jibes at the Federal Capital Territory FCT Minister, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, asking the President to be wary of him and possibly sack him.
Tony Okocha, APC Chairman in Rivers State, while addressing the Media at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja said, “The undeniable fact of the matter is that all those who lined up on that table and signatories to the text in issue, are still ardent believers of HE Atiku Abubakar. Kindly take a look at the flex banner behind the table where they sat and see the picture/name of HE, Atiku Abubakar. It was deliberate and intentional. Res ipsa loquitor.
“ These persons can never forgive President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, HE Ezenwo Nyesom Wike and APC Rivers over the sin of their woeful electoral defeat.
“Of course, it follows therefore, that anyone whose action or inaction, contributed to their dangerous fall is inadvertently their sworn enemy. No wonder, they are surreptitiously targeting to cut out a pound of flesh from the Honorable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, His Excellency, Chief Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, CON, GSSRS.
“ A spectacularly failed mission indeed. This wicked subterfuge cannot work under our watch.
“This assembly of protesters did not only vehemently carry out rigorous and excruciating campaigns against Asiwaju but they trumped up and funded hate speeches against Asiwaju. They and their ilk, championed the obscene and absurd denigration of Asiwaju in the media. They promoted the devilish narratives that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was frail and unhealthy.
“ Infact, they played God by promoting that Asiwaju was on the departure lounge and will pass on in a bit.
These protesters raised the issue of the political crisis in Rivers State and made attempts to link the Honourable Minister of the FCT to the fray. What a puny logic they espoused!
“It is so shameful that those champions of the slogan “serving son after father “, when Sir Siminalayi Fubara emerged in the PDP Governorship Primary, are now the ‘errand boys’ of the son they despised.
“Rivers State is more than drifting to a pariah state, to atrophying into abysmal oblivion to say the least.
“How does it concern the Honourable Minister of the FCT serving under our beloved APC-led Federal Government, who had long left the rostrum of power in Rivers State Government House?
“ If the protesters feel concerned, shouldn’t it be honourable for them to look inwards to seek solutions to the problems than constituting themselves as snitches and fifth columnists and crisis merchants and so to justify their lucre, cast aspersions on the Abuja transformer and reformer, Honorable Minister E. N. Wike?
“Why do they want to further insult Mr. President and APC by telling him that he as leader of APC, appointed a kleptocrat into his cabinet as Minister?
“When have they repented and withdrawn their suits in court, challenging the powers of Mr. President to mediate in the political crisis in Rivers State?
“Have they repented from emboldening Governor Fubara to disrespect Mr. President by refusing to implement all the indices on the 8~point Presidential Proclamation, as panacea to the political crisis in Rivers State, which, by their actions, they have continued to fuel?
“If they have respect for Mr. President as they mouth, why would they publicly condemn and refer to as illegal, a proper Assembly made up of 27 members out of now 30 (note that the Rivers State Assembly seats are 32, One member died and one claims to have resigned), who are all members of the APC, even when Mr. President in index – 6 of the Presidential proclamation, recognized them as the legitimate Assembly in Rivers State and instructed Governor Fubara to present the 2024 State budget to the legitimate Assembly led by Rt Hon Martin Amaewhule?
“ Why are they calling out and trolling Mr. President, the leader of our Party in such a derogatory manner?”, Okocha queried.
