Rivers APC asks Wike to join party, says his name ‘shakes society’

The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Rivers has asked Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), to join the ranks of the ruling party.

The call for Wike to defect came after 27 members of the Rivers house of assembly dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.

Addressing a press conference in Port Harcourt, capital city of Rivers, on Monday, Tony Okocha, caretaker chair of Rivers APC, said the defection of the state lawmakers was not preparing the ground for the minister to join the party.

“I do not think so,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“Whatever their reason is, when they get to the bridge they will cross it.

“Wike is a politician whose name shakes and echoes in the society; so nobody can think or say for him if he will defect to APC or not.”

Okocha said the party needs the former governor of Rivers to “assist it”.

The caretaker chair said the party does see Wike staying in PDP till 2027.

“The best thing we are asking him to do is to come and join the APC because it is the government in power,” he said.

Okocha said the defectors did not tell him of any plan to impeach Siminalayi Fubara, governor of Rivers.

“If the state governor has decided to give vent to the four persons above the 27 persons, then you know that it is a complete anatomy and would not be tolerated by anybody,” he said.

The caretaker chair said the lawmakers “told” him that Rivers lacked good governance under Fubara.