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The factional State chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Emeka Beke, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, of using his influence to manipulate the local government primary elections in the state.
Naija News reports that parties held their primaries across various centres in the State on Saturday after the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission released guidelines for the election.
Candidates emerged for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) via varied means of indirect and direct primaries or consensus.
Some allies of the minister who emerged as chairmanship candidates include Chidi Liyod for Emuoha LG, Thomas Bariere for Khana LG, and Confidence Dekor for Gokana LG.
Others are Mbakpone Okpe, Tai LG; Akuro Tobins, Okrika LG; Allwell Ihunda, Port Harcourt City LG; and Onengiyeofori George, Asari Toru LG.
Speaking with Punch on Sunday through his Chief of Staff, Chizi Enyi, Beke alleged that during the primary election held on Saturday ahead of the August 30 local government elections, Wike once again used his influence to control both the APC and PDP in the state, ensuring the emergence of his loyalists as candidates.
He stated, “The much crisis we know of is the anti-party activities going on where the FCT minister, through the instrumentality of the Federal Government, uses the APC as his surrogate by bringing in both the APC and PDP to be together, to bring one candidate in almost all the primaries.
“Now, in several local governments, particularly in Ikwerre Local Government and some others, those who said they emerged as chairmanship candidates and councilors are all members of the PDP. Everybody knows in Ikwerre LGA that Charles Wobodo was chairman of the party in Ikwerre LGA and leader of his ward.
“Today he is the chairmanship candidate of the faction they said they are working with, the same thing in Khana, Gokana and several LGAs in the state. To be very precise, they are using the Renewed Hope Agenda and are no longer a political party.
“And the national secretariat always recognises Tony Okocha, sending him invitations and all that for party activities instead of Emeke Beke, who was duly elected. And when they attempted to remove him, the court voided it as decided by Justice Sike Aprioku.
“How can APC and PDP attend one primary to produce one candidate? And it has been done and it’s very unfortunate.”
Asked if the Beke-led APC was considering dumping the party following its mistreatment by it’ls national leadership, he responded in the negative, at least for the moment.
“No, we are not leaving the party. As of now we have not made any decision to leave the party. But like the current local government election that they have just fixed for August 30, I’m in court against the State Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas. One other Non-Governmental Organization, Initiative for Transparent Strategy is also in Court against Ibas,” he said.
The post Wike Used APC As Surrogate To Manipulate Rivers LG Primaries – Emeka Beke Raises Alarm appeared first on Naija News.
