- Says He Deserves “Praise As Whistleblower”
- Count Me Out, You Should Be Arrested– Beke, Amaechi’s Man Replies Okocha
By Kolawole Ojebisi
Former Chief of Staff to Ex- Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha, has stated publicly that he rigged local government elections during the tenure of his former boss.
He made this revelation while featuring on a political programme on Channel Television on Thursday evening.
Okocha, who made this startling admission without compunction, noted that it was a collective effort to ensure his party retain the reins of power even at the grassroots.
An erstwhile ally of the former minister of transport, Okocha also defected with his former principal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the twilight of his eight-year reign as governor.
He would later be rewarded with the position of the party’s chairman in the state, a position he has been relieved of following a Port Harcourt High Court ruling by Justice Aprioku.
According to the ruling, as reported by Premium Politics, Justice Aprioku reinstated Chief Emeka Beke’s party leadership following his removal from office by the national leadership of APC.
This development has resulted in a rift between Beke and Okocha with each party trying to influence decisions to their favour in the opposition party.
Meanwhile while admitting that he was involved in rigging local government elections during Amaechi’s tenure, Okocha named Beke as one of his collaborators in subverting people’s will.
Okocha noted that he is against the forthcoming local government election having been privy to the tactics used in subverting people’s will to enthrone that of a governor in the past.
“On the issue of whether I rigged the election, I did not hide it. I should be praised as a whistleblower.,” he said before being cut by the interviewer who told him that election riggers should be behind bars. “No,” he responded, “If you were an armed robber yesterday, and today you came to confess that you stole something somewhere yesterday. Are you saying that the law will now take a retroactive effect? The answer is No.
“The reason why we say and keep saying is because of what is going on as we speak. When you have an idea of a thing and you see the other person also wants to use the tactics that you already know. You will shout. That is the reason why we went to court.”
When quizzed about who gave the orders to rig the elections, he added, “Yes, all of us were together including Emeka Beke,” implicating the reinstated Rivers APC chair.
However, Beke who was in the interview with Okocha quickly dismissed the allegations, adding that the police would arrest him (Okocha) for rigging the election.
Beke said, “During the election, was I part of it? Have you ever heard me say rig election?” before being countered by Okocha who asked, “Are you saying that under the Amaechi government, you never participated.”
“I did not follow you to the election. I did not partake in any election whatsoever. When you wake up and confess and you want to put me there. I am not part of that. You rigged the election and we are going to ask the police to arrest you that you rigged the election,” Beke replied.
Okocha now belongs to Wike’s camp as the battle between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and his successor, Governor Fubara deepens
Okocha, who served as the Local Organising Committee (LOC), Chairman of Tinubu Presidential Campaign Rally in Rivers State, was one of the politicians who invited former Governor Nyesom Wike to join and lead the state’s chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He even projected the former governor for the ministerial position he is occupying.
He had said immediately after Tinubu’s victory that he was comfortable with Wike receiving whatever entitlements due the state in the administration of President Bola Tinubu considering the former Rivers governor overwhelming contributions
“The call on Wike to come over to APC and lead us came from members during a review meeting we had sometime ago.
“At that meeting, somebody moved a motion and said, APC failed election in 2015 when Amaechi was Governor and the Director General of Muhammadu Buhari Presidential campaign, I was Chief of Staff then, yet the total number of votes we were able to give to Buhari was 69, 000 plus, while PDP gave President Goodluck Jonathan over two million votes.
‘APC election score in 2019 was even worse than that of 2015; we did not score even 12 percent of the total votes cast in that exercise, but then Wike was already in government; the party did everything to stiffen every chances for APC to breathe in elections, even though Amaechi was already a Minister and had the chances to win the poll for the party.
“Then the recent one, the jinx of many years was broken, APC was able to win Presidential election simply because former Givernor Nyesom Wike mobilised his PDP members and supporters to support and vote for APC.” Okocha had said immediately after the 2023 presidential election.
