All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers state has vowed to win the 2023 governorship and state assembly elections to deliberately neutralize perceived tyrannical governance structures of Governor Nyesom Wike that have kept the populace in chains and bounds for eight years.
Rivers APC chieftain, Joe Korka-Waadah, expressed the party’s disposition on Wednesday towards March 11 polls while dismissing Governor Wike’s notion that the APC has collapsed in Rivers with exit of more leaders from the party.
Wike had the day before declared that APC structures in Ahoada East Local Government Area had collapsed and a boost to People Democratic Party (PDP) fortunes for March 11 elections when he received Eric Apia, leader of APC in the area who defected to PDP on Tuesday after losing his race for a Reps seat in the February 25 polls.
Responding to Wike’s opinion on the state of Rivers APC, Canada based Korka-Waadah, said, “We shall not allow the tyrannical structures erected under Wike to stand. A vote for PDP in Rivers is a vote to keep the youth in perpetual poverty, more deaths for our retirees and pensioners.
“Young people must bring down those barriers erected for the last eight years by the regime of Wike. It is time for the young people to shake themselves from the shackles of subservience. They will do that by voting Pastor Tonye Cole for governor and all APC state assembly candidates.
“It’s time to bring decency and prudence into governance. Young people did it recently, they will do it again. APC structure in the state is solid under able leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. It has never been stronger than it is today and Wike can’t deceive the people.”
Wike, in a statement through his Media Aide, Kelvin Ebiri, had said, “The electoral fortune of the PDP in forthcoming election of 11th March 2023 has been boosted because of eventual collapse of the party structure of the APC into PDP in Ahoada East LGA.
“The governor notes the tough political tackles that Mr Apia posed while he held sway as the formidable grassroot leader of the APC. Such political asset is what the PDP had harvested, which marks the eventual death of APC in the area.
“The implication is that more votes will be secured for the PDP since all Mr. Apia’s supporters have now pledged their loyalty, and are ready to deliver votes that will make the PDP governorship candidate, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, win the governorship election.”