2023 elections: Okocha, former chief of staff for Rivers, denies any connections to Wike, backs Tinubu

Mr. Tony Okocha, a former chief of staff for the Rivers State government and a representative on the Rivers State Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, has refuted claims that he is attempting to thwart the efforts of APC officials in the State.

Okocha denied rumors that the Social Democratic Party, or SDP, in the State still counts him as a member.

The current Chief of Staff for the Rivers State Government and the State’s APC leadership are at odds.

In order to further destabilize the state’s main opposition party, Okocha is also alleged to be working for Governor Nyesom Wike.
In order to further destabilize the state’s main opposition party, Okocha is also alleged to be working for Governor Nyesom Wike.

The APC’s state leadership had earlier described him as a supporter of Bola Tinubu, their presidential candidate, and a member of a non-governmental organization.

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Patrick Tonye-Cole, the APC’s candidate for governor in Rivers State, was allegedly accused by Okocha of refusing to canvass support for their party’s presidential candidate. The State APC leadership denied Okocha’s allegations.
Two weeks ago, some members of the PCC led by Okocha staged a walk out from the PCC meeting after it disagreed with a former Director-General of Port Authority, Sokonte Davies who was presiding over the meeting.
However, when the APC’s Rivers State Presidential Campaign Council went to inspect the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt for the presidential campaign rally scheduled for February 15, 2023, Okocha declared, “I am a member of the All Progressives Congress, I am a founding member. If there were only two people who knew that we were defecting from the PDP to the APC, it was me and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. I was Chief of Staff when this party was founded in Rivers State. And I have continued to uphold the party’s standards, principles, and rules.

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Others might have left, like my dear friend Magnus Abe, who is now joining the SDP. Since I don’t play SDP, no one can accuse me of being a member of Tinubu’s group. As I previously stated, our friendship is the basis of our relationship.

Okocha, however, is viewed as an APC faction member in Rivers State.