PORT HARCOURT/OWERRI – The Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has made a decisive intervention in the political crisis within the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the state is “not ripe” for a fresh party congress.
Governor Uzodinma’s statement serves as a firm endorsement of the existing Chief Tony Okocha-led APC executives in Rivers State from the ward to the state level. He clarified that their tenure constitutionally spans until 2028, and there is no valid reason to dissolve the structure merely because Governor Siminalayi Fubara defected to the party.
“Just because a governor decamped and the existing party officials would be dissolved? We play too much in this State,” a source paraphrased Uzodinma’s position, highlighting the perceived irregularity of the request from Governor Fubara’s camp for a new congress to install his loyalists.
The statement reinforces the national party’s earlier directive that Governor Fubara and his supporters must undergo formal registration through the recognized ward and local government structures supervised by Chief Okocha. It questions the sincerity of supporters who claim allegiance to President Bola Tinubu but refuse to be officially registered under the nationally recognized party framework.
This declaration by the Governors’ Forum chairman is a significant setback for Governor Fubara’s ambition to gain immediate control of the party’s machinery and presents a major boost for the existing Okocha-led executive, which is loyal to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
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Disclaimer: This report analyzes a political statement and its implications within an ongoing intra-party power struggle. The positions reflect the deepening factional divides within the Rivers State APC.
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