By Chimaobi Afiauwa, Abuja
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dissolved all Rivers State party executive committees across levels, ushering in a caretaker committee stacked with loyalists of Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the FCT and former governor of Rivers State.
MUK TV reports that this startling move could be to widen Wike’s influence within the APC in his home state and, conversely, whittle down Rotimi Amaechi’s influence.
Speaking after the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja, Barrister Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, unveiled the caretaker committee, naming Chief Tony Okocha as its chairman and Chief Eric Nwibani as the secretary.
“The caretaker committee, subject to the directives of the NWC, was entrusted with preparing for the conduct of congresses to facilitate the emergence of new executive committees for the party at various levels, extending from the ward to the state”, Morka explained.
Other members of the caretaker committee include figures closely aligned with Wike: Hon. Chibuike Ikenga, Prince Stephen Abolo, Hon. Silvester Vidin, Senibo Karibi Dan-Jumbo, and Miss Darling Amadi.
Notably, Chief Tony Okocha, a known ally of Wike, spearheads the committee.
Wike, though a member of the PDP, serves as the FCT minister under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Recently, Okocha led a faction of Wike’s supporters on a visit to the APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, accusing Wike’s political rival, Rotimi Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, of undermining Tinubu during the last election.
Okocha advocated for Wike’s direct engagement with Tinubu, sidelining Amaechi and his supporters.
Morka emphasized the caretaker committee’s role in conducting an updated electronic party registration for all members in Rivers State and facilitating new executive committees’ emergence from the ward to the state levels.
He outlined the committee’s task to organize congresses within six months to deliver on its mandate as directed by the NWC.
