The South-South Zonal Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Blessing Agbomhere, has appealed to the party’s leaders to be wary of associating with opposition party leaders, ahead of the 2023 general election.
He said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Agbomhere said that the frequent visit of APC stalwarts to Rivers and the way they have been associating with Gov. Nyesom Wike was worrisome.
He said although Wike may be criticising Rotimi Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation in public, he secretly appreciates his achievements.
According to Agbomhere, the Rivers Governor also appreciates the enviable development strides of Sen. Bola Tinubu, the APC 2023 presidential candidate, Sen. Kashim Shettima his Vice–Presidential running mate and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“As a result of our performance, if Wike wants to join the party, he must come in through the front door.
“We will receive him and save him from those he claimed wanted to destroy his political future,” Agbomhere said.
He added that the frequent invitation of APC Chieftains to commission projects in Rivers by Wike does not augur well for the expected victory of the party in the state and at national level in the 2023 election.
The zonal scribe said the influx of APC Chieftains to Rivers, could affect the moral of its members in the state while boosting that of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members.
He said the worst aspect of APC chieftain’s visit to Rivers was that they failed to identify with the party’s leadership and members in the state whenever they visited.
“We want to call on APC national leadership to urgently call some party Chieftains who are now flocking to Rivers and maintaining unholy alliances with Wike in the name of commissioning projects to order.
“While there is nothing wrong with inviting a highly placed personality to commission unfinished projects, everything is wrong if such uncompleted projects are being used as campaign stunts ahead of a crucial national election.
“By identifying with an opposition party at this time, such leaders are indirectly de-marketing our great party, especially in a state controlled by the opposition PDP,” he said.
Agbomhere said that the influx of such APC chieftains into Rivers was discouraging to the party members who were striving and strategising daily on how to win positions at the 2023 general election.
He said that the earlier the unholy pilgrimage of APC highly revered stalwarts to Rivers was nipped in the bud, the better its chances in the 2023 election in the state.
The party scribe said that Rivers was critical for APC in winning the 2023 presidential, governorship and legislative election in the South-South.
“We cannot afford to promote the policies and projects of an opposition ruling party in a state on the one hand and expect to win elections in that state as an opposition party,” Agbomhere said.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his support for all APC candidates towards winning the 2023 election in every state of the federation.
He also lauded the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu-led APC National Working Committee (NWC) for working round the clock to ensure that the party emerged victorious at all levels in the 2023 general election.