Key stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have raised concerns over the nomination of former Governor Nyesom Wike as a minister. They argue that Wike did not contribute to the growth of the party and question his claims of helping the APC. The stakeholders believe that the party's organic growth in the state should be credited to the efforts of loyal members who faced significant challenges.
ABUJA - Key stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have expressed reservations over the nomination of former Governor Nyesom Wike as minister, saying he was never a contributor to the growth of the party.
In a statement signed by the APC Publicity Secretary in Rivers State, Darlington Nwauju, the stakeholders highlighted the painstaking efforts of several loyal party members who worked towards building a solid party structure in the state. They argue that it is unfair to reward Wike, who was governor when the party faced numerous onslaughts.
Nwauju emphasized that the growth of the APC in Rivers State has been steady and organic since the party's formation in 2015. He stated that the party surpassed its 2015 vote count during the 2019 elections, which Wike contested as the governor candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The party leaders questioned Wike's claims of helping the APC, highlighting the large number of votes he secured for the PDP in previous elections. In the 2015 presidential election, Wike received 1,487,075 votes out of the 2,537,590 registered voters in Rivers State. Similarly, he obtained 472,971 votes for the PDP in the 2019 presidential election out of the 3,215,273 registered voters in the state.
The stakeholders raised doubts about whether someone who was not a party loyalist could dominate a national ruling party in a state solely based on claims of providing minimal support with a few votes. They demanded empirical evidence to substantiate Wike's alleged contributions.
Nwauju clarified that the difference in APC's performance between 2015 and 2019 elections was only 82,000 votes, which decreased to 80,000 votes in the 2019 and 2023 elections. He mentioned that Wike lost his polling unit and ward, only joining the APC when he realized his political career was in decline, using the party as a platform to undermine its progress in Rivers State.
The stakeholders expressed optimism about the future, proclaiming that with the collective efforts of party technocrats in Rivers State and the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, the APC would eventually take over the state in 2027. They looked forward to significant progress and growth for the nation under their leadership.
Source of content: OOO News 2023-08-04 News
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