ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A Rivers Interest Group of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Upper Echelon, has disagreed with the 2023 governorship candidate of the party, Tonye Cole, on his move to petition the Election Tribunal.
Cole wants the court to nullify the emergence of the People Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Siminialayi Fubara as the governor-elect.
On the heels of the state Executives Council members who suspended the party chairman on Wednesday, the group said they were not in support of Cole’s action.
They also urged APC National Working Committee (NWC) to remove former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi as Rivers APC leader and replace him with his former Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Lucky Ottos, Leader of the Rivers APC Upper Echelon, told newsmen in Port Harcourt, that: “The presidential, national assembly, governorship, and state assembly elections in rivers were free, fair, and credible. We are satisfied with the outcome.
“As stakeholders of the APC, we call on security agencies within the State to be vigilant considering the recklessness of some retired politicians and to immediately invite those spearheading unrest in our dear State.”
On increasing divisions in Rivers APC, the group called on, “The NWC to, with immediate effect, intervene by dissolving the State Executives Committee. We pledge our support to Tony Okocha to take over as leader to move APC Rivers to winning ways.”
They further alleged that, “Amaechi and clique in Rivers ceased to be members of the Party the moment they worked against progress and fortunes of the party, by choosing to vote candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, against that of our Party in the March 25 presidential election.”