By – Memoye Oghu (PHC)
The May 29, 2023 handover date to the president elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the vice president elect, Senator Kashim Ibrahim is sacrosanct and nothing can move it from that day.
Chief Tony Chinedu Okocha, leader of the New All Progressives Congress (NAPC) in Rivers State made the declaration on Monday in Port Harcourt, the state capital when members of the New APC Stakeholders Forum from the Orashi zone of the state paid him a solidarity visit, to thank him for his efforts at repositioning the APC in the state.
“A lot of our people are still hallucinating that 29 May, 2023 will not come to pass. But they’ll be sworn in by 29 May, 2023,” he told them.
In an interview with newsmen, he said, “well, the history of our country in recent past is replicate with the fact that 29 May, at least we’ve had that in recent time, is the time for a new government. And of course, we have a new government in place and that’s the one headed by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu . . .
“And President Muhammadu Buhari is driving on and on the 29 of May is eight years and it’s time for another. And that person who will take over is the person that has been voted for already by Nigerians. Against the thinking of doubting Thomases, it is sacrosanct. On that day, there’ll be no interim government. There’ll be an elected government.”
He thanked and appreciated members of the forum for the decision to visit him on their own without any prompting, pointing out that a leader without followers was “merely taking a walk. I’ve a whole lot of respect for the Orashi people. I’m extremely amazed, pleasantly amazed to have the creme-de-creme of the Orashi people in my house today. I want to thank you for this gathering for which I’ll never take for granted.”
In its solidarity message delivered by the Forum Secretary, Dr Godpower Egbono, the New APC stakeholders Forum from the Orashi region of the state, made up of the four local government areas of Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni stated that, “we’ve come out to specially identify with you for standing for democracy in Rivers State and staking out your neck to fight for the common Rivers man in APC Rivers state, in the face of very difficult circumstances.
“It’s difficult to forget what Rivers people experienced in APC due to lingering crises with selfish leaders that were anti-people, with gross neglect of majority party faithful. From 2015 to 2023, Rivers APC members suffered untold hardships ranging from hunger, abject poverty and utter neglect due to ineptitude of leadership/unresolved lingering crisis that led to non recognition of the state at the centre.
“And the worst is that the leadership crisis has continued unabated and even threatening to extend to the new political dispensation; a situation that should not be allowed to continue. Thank God for you, our state leader (Chief Tony Okocha) for your foresight, in detecting the early warning signs, which propelled you to fight for the soul of the party in the state.”
Apart from demanding for inclusiveness in all areas of democratic dividends, appointments both at the state and federal levels, empowerment and others, they specifically asked him to inform the incoming government about the plights of the region which had continued to suffer from perennial floods each year with the hope of mitigating it this year.
“Just recently, the four Local Government Areas in our zone featured in the 2023 flood report by the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET) and this portends danger to our people. Sir, the time to act is now. And we plead with you to engage both the state and federal governments to take proactive and preventive measures to protect our people in anticipation of the prediction from the expert agencies,” they stated.
Chairman of the forum, Hon Paul Osiago had earlier introduced leaders of the forum from the four LGAs of the zone as Godpower Egbono from Abua/Odual, Suleiman Atago from Ahoada East, Ezekiel Festus from Ahoada West and Hon Paul Osiago from ONELGA.
Other speakers at the visit eulogized Chief Tony Okocka and thanked him for giving them a new breathing space in the party in the state.