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Rivers APC Members Ripple With Worry Over Wike’s Ties To Party Leadership

Published

2 years ago

May 12, 2023.

Members of the APC in Rivers State has express concern over Governor Wike’s friendly relationship with the party’s leadership, especially President-elect Bola Tinubu.
Wike’s rumored support for the national ruling party during the 2023 presidential election has led to speculation that he may join the APC.
Despite Governor Wike’s previous criticisms of the APC and President Buhari, his support for Tinubu during the election has raised questions about his political loyalties.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that as President-elect Bola Tinubu’s inauguration and cabinet formation approaches, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State are expressing concern about the seemingly amicable relationship between Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the party’s leadership.

This development has reportedly caused unease among APC members.

EDITOR’S PICKS

Governor Nyesom Wike is rumored to have supported the national ruling party during the 2023 presidential election, going against his own party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This move has led to speculation that Wike may soon join the ruling party. Before the PDP’s presidential primary election in May 2022, Wike was one of the party’s most loyal and influential leaders, as demonstrated when he made a vow to commit to the party during voting at the convention held in Abuja’s Moshood Abiola Stadium.

“I vow today that whoever emerges here will have my full support because I am a committed party member,” he said at the time. I’ve been at this party since 1998, and I’m not leaving.” However, immediately following the primary, the Governor engaged in a protracted battle with the PDP’s national body and the party’s elected presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, dragging four other governors along with him to form the G5.

After the election, he took it a step further by inviting Tinubu to commission projects in the oil-rich state. However, Chibuike Amaechi, a former governor of the state who finished second in the party’s presidential primary in June 2022, has been conspicuously absent on all of Tinubu’s visits to Rivers State, whether as a presidential candidate or as President-elect.

Previously, Wike had criticized President Buhari and the APC for their poor governance and handling of the economy. However, during the presidential election, he supported Bola Tinubu and the APC. Despite accusations of rigging, Wike has continued to show support for Tinubu, leading some members of the APC in Rivers State to suspect that he is angling for a ministerial appointment after his term expires.