The Rivers State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has firmly stated that suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara's alleged misdemeanors would not be overlooked even if he decides to join the ruling party.
Tony Okocha, Caretaker Committee chairman of the Rivers APC, made this declaration on Tuesday in Abuja while responding to questions about Fubara's recent Sallah visit to President Bola Tinubu and its potential political implications.
"If Fubara decides to join the APC, it has nothing to do with the state of emergency in Rivers state. His sins cannot be forgiven because he came to our party," Okocha stated emphatically.
The APC chairman further emphasized that the party would not serve as a sanctuary for political offenders. "You will jump into APC today and your sins are forgiven? That cannot be true. It won't work that way. Then, it would have made APC as a dumping ground for people who commit misdemeanor and believe that by and large we will come for reconciliation."
Proper Channels for Party Defection
Okocha clarified that Fubara had not initiated any formal process to join the APC, adding that there are established procedures for political defections.
"He has not spoken to me. He will enter the party through the door not the window. Not only him, there are procedures for defection to another party and if he claims to be a politician, he would know that all politics is local, he would try and defect in his ward," Okocha explained.
When questioned about concerns regarding Fubara's meeting with President Tinubu, the APC chairman dismissed any worries, noting that the visit coincided with Sallah celebrations.
"How can I be worried that somebody visited my President? Don't forget it was also the season of Sallah. Yesterday, I read somewhere that the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Osoba paid Sallah homage and I don't know whether you also saw the President in the company of Chief Nyesom Wike," he said.
No Reconciliation Efforts
Okocha also refuted reports suggesting that Fubara had initiated reconciliatory moves, stating categorically that no such efforts had been made.
The political tension in Rivers State has remained high following Governor Fubara's suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency, which Okocha insists was due to the governor's alleged misconduct rather than political motivations.
This development adds another layer to the ongoing political drama in Rivers State, where the relationship between Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike (now a federal minister), has deteriorated significantly.
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