The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has disclaimed the newly appointed chairman of the caretaker committee, Chief Tony Okocha, asserting that he is not a bona fide member of the party. The Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Dalington Nwauju, made this declaration during an appearance on Channels TV’s program on Saturday, in response to the leadership turmoil within the party.
The National Working Committee of the APC recently inaugurated the members of the caretaker committee for the Rivers chapter of the party, with Okocha appointed as the chairman and Eric Nwibani as the Secretary of the seven-man caretaker committee.
Nwauju, during the interview, accused Okocha of working against the party in Rivers State during the last election. He claimed, “As I speak to you, the number one person on the caretaker committee list is not a member of the APC. Tony Okocha left the party and joined forces with Magnus Abe against the party.” Nwauju further added, “Everybody in Rivers State is aware that the man never campaigned for any of the APC candidates in Rivers State.”
He questioned the legitimacy of Okocha’s leadership role, stating, “So how can a man who worked against the APC now turn around to lead the APC? Which APC is he going to lead? It is not about the person of Tony Okocha, but the legality of the action of Ganduje NWC.”
Notably, the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Ganduje, while inaugurating the committee, charged them with the task of securing the state for the APC in preparation for the 2023 general elections.