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APC says avoiding some LGAs was a calculated move to avoid certain loss.
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The party claims it lacked the capacity to challenge PDP in Obio/Akpor, Phalga, and ONELGA.
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Rivers APC invites FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to join the party.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State has defended its decision not to field candidates in Obio/Akpor, Port Harcourt City and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government areas during the just concluded council elections.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Rivers APC also disclosed that it is calling on Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, to join the party.
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Speaking at a press briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, Tony Okocha explained that the APC lacked the capacity to compete with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in those three LGAs, stressing that the party’s decision was strategic.
According to him, presenting candidates in those LGAs would have amounted to “missing the point”, adding that the strategy eventually paid off.
Okocha said, “There’s what they call comparative advantage during elementary economics and even international law alright.
“You don’t go and put your team in a place where you know that the answer to it will be failure. We didn’t have the strength to contend with the elections in Phalga because again, the man who was the PDP candidate was a mayor, was Chairman of Port Harcourt City local government council.
“And reports that reached us, were that he did perform extremely well and so that the people were going to pay him back.
“I told you that we’re contesting elections, not to test the waters. We were contesting elections to win, it’s our own strategy not to field candidates in Onelga, Phalga and Obio/Akpor local government.
“It was a strategy. I mean what are you fielding candidates for in Obio/Akpor for. APC, fielding candidates in Obio/Akpor?
“The sweeping effect of PDP. Don’t forget that PDP own this state. Rivers State was PDP state alright.
“And then you go and make the mistake of you want to field candidates because you want to field candidates.
“You’ll be missing the point. You’ll just be missing it. So, we allowed it go. Onelga, the same thing.
“It was our calculated strategy and it paid off for us.”
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