Few hours to the presidential campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, a chieftian of the party, Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, has dared Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike to apprear at the venue of the rally, to prove his claimed support for the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
Wike had last week approved the request of the APC Presidential Campaign Council to use the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Elekahia, Port Harcourt, for its presidential campaign rally, without any payment.
Eze, in a statement made available to LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, described the governor’s alleged claim to be supporting the APC presidential candidate as ‘a mere farse’.
He said: “Senator Bola Tinubu is the APC Presidential torch-bearer and thus, Governor Wike cannot claim to be supporting him whereas on daily basis he deploys thugs to threaten and unleash mayhem on APC campaigners in Rivers State.
“Furthermore, if Governor Wike has truly resolved to support Tinubu’s presidential project, he must appear at APC presidential rally ground in person to campaign for Tinubu. A hide and seek politicking is a no-no in seeking relevance in politics.
“Given his status as governor, Wike must understand the rudiments of politics and what it takes to be a party member and follow the rules. He has to register with the party from his ward and pay homage to his benefactor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi who is the leader of the party in the region to show genuine commitment to the Tinubu/APC project.
“Failure to comply with the prerequisite conditions highlighted above, Wike’s claim of supporting APC’s Bola Tinubu remains a mirage, inconsequential and farce and should be taken as such regardless of whatever secret contributions and financial commitments he has allegedly made for the party’s campaign rally scheduled for February 15.
“It is deceitful for the Governor to claim to have released the General Yakubu Gowon stadium for the APC presidential rally free of charge when the party has already paid the requisite fee for the use of the facility.”