The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, has said that 10 years would be insufficient for anyone to dismantle the political structure left behind by the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

Okocha made this statement on Thursday in Abuja while addressing the state of affairs in Rivers, noting that the former governor’s structure is entrenched across all 23 local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

He stated: “Rivers’ structure is embedded in the 23 LGs of the state. And they are ‘can-do’ men. They are not the type of people who follow because of rewards, so to speak. No, these people are ardent, unrepentant supporters, believers.

“If a man touches your life, it must not be a direct touch. And if the man says tomorrow, ‘This is my interest,’ they walk off.”

He warned the Judicial Commission of Inquiry established by Governor Siminalayi Fabara to investigate arson, killings and the destruction of property at various LG secretariats against omitting the burnt chambers of the state assembly, which were destroyed by unknown political thugs on October 30.

Okocha insisted that neither he nor any member of his party would honour any invitation from the inquiry commission if the state failed to include both the bombing of the APC secretariat and that of the assembly complex.

He attributed the current problem in Rivers State to the internal crisis between the top echelons of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, noting that the governor lost his way when he began taking counsel from fifth columnists.

He said, “He submitted himself to the fifth columnists. He submitted himself to those whose interests are pecuniary. And today, the issue is, where are they? They have disappeared into thin air. They have put the man into trouble.”

He quoted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as blaming Governor Fubara for the demolition of the state assembly complex, describing the move as an assault on democracy.

He said, “They thought that the building constitutes an assembly, but an assembly consists of the members inside—the human beings who are members of the assembly. That’s why the assembly can sit anywhere, provided they have their mace.

“So, he should start with the assembly bombing, of which we all know who the protagonists were. Then we can move to the APC secretariat that was bombed—that was a national issue—and after that, he can include the local government.”