Rivers APC elects Okocha as chairman

The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has elected Tony Okocha as its party chairman.

Okocha was elected during a delegate congress conducted through a voice vote and presided over by Dr. Adoye Omale, who represented the party’s national secretariat.

Other positions filled during the state delegates’ congress included Deputy Chairman, State Secretary, Publicity Secretary, State Auditor, State Women Leader, Youth Leader, Legal Advisor, and Zonal Leaders for the four senatorial districts of the state. They are to pilot the affairs of the party for the next four years.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected chairman, Tony Okocha, vowed that the APC in Rivers State is set to take over the Rivers State government in 2027.

He stated that his election silenced critics who believed the party was not united and could not conduct a peaceful election.

Okocha praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly for the resumption of petroleum product production at the Port Harcourt Refinery. He assured that the party would build on such successes to win elections in Rivers State.

He said, “I am an emotional person if you know me very well. Our joy is that our members came on their own volition; nobody cajoled anybody to come, nobody bamboozled anybody to come here for the state primary election. They came to show their love for the All Progressives Congress. I like to reassure you. I’m sure you are seeing the indices and the variables already.

“Those who said APC cannot conduct elections lied. APC will conduct and win elections and be in charge of government in Rivers State. Our business, with your support, is to ensure that we root out a rudderless government in Rivers State. By the year 2027, God keeping us alive, we will have an election in Rivers State, and our target, with your help, is to ensure that APC takes the reins of governance in Rivers State.

“From Assembly to local government areas, National Assembly, and the governorship election, APC will win in Rivers State and also ensure that we return the hero of our time, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Let me again use this opportunity to say to Nigerians that we are on course. APC is on course in Nigeria. I’m sure you have watched or heard what has happened at the Port Harcourt Refinery some days ago. These are just the tips of the iceberg that you will begin to see.

“We have told you many times that Rome was not built in a day, that the day you plant a seed is not the day you will harvest it. So, in less than two years, we have started up and are running. The President has also directed that Kaduna and Warri refineries should be on the same speed as the Port Harcourt Refinery. So, when we achieve this, I’m sure the problems of Nigeria will be half-solved.

“So, let me say to all of us, particularly my colleagues here, it’s one family. I want to assure you of the appreciation of APC in Rivers State that we will come up with the best for the interest of all of us. I want to thank the delegation from the national level who have come here and dutifully and profoundly led this process to this point. Let me, on behalf of the party, thank you for your courage, dexterity, and the love you have for the party.

“For this reason, you have left all that you are doing to come to Port Harcourt to superintend this election to its logical conclusion. We would not have succeeded in concluding this process if INEC had not come to preside over this election. Of course, it’s their responsibility to preside over party primary elections. The leader of the delegation is no other person than the leader of INEC in the state. He came here himself.”

The party’s National Vice Chairman, South-South, Chief Victor Giadom, commended the party delegates for the peaceful manner in which they conducted themselves during the state delegate congress.

He noted that the peaceful conduct of the state delegate congress demonstrated that APC in Rivers State is a united and indivisible party.

He called on party members to support the new executive to move the party forward.

The state delegate congress was supervised by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Joseph Alalibo.