Rivers APC, state govt bicker over LG election date

The All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Tony Okocha and the Rivers State Government have disagreed on the October 5, 2024, date for local council polls.

While Okocha declared that the election will not be held on October 5, the state government maintained that the election will be held, saying that preparations are in top gear.

Okocha also announced that the tenure of the Caretaker Committee of the APC in the state, which was recently renewed by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, will expire on December 5, 2024.

He spoke, yesterday, at an expanded stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Port Harcourt, reiterating that both the APC and the PDP will not participate in the said election if it eventually holds.

But in a swift reaction, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joe Johnson, described Okocha as a ‘joker’.

He said: “Okocha is a joker; the election will be held. There’s nothing to stop the election; we are preparing for it. Those who work hard will win”

“Political parties are preparing for the election, so the electorate should prepare. There will be a paradigm shift this time, and nothing will stop it except God.”

The APC meeting was attended by leading members of the party in the state, including its former Chairman, Ojukaye Amachree and Wilson Ake, among others.

While insisting that the party in the state would no longer allow itself to be dragged into the opposition, the APC caretaker committee chairman accused the Emeka Beke-led faction of the party of working in synergy with the state government to oust the committee.