Hard Choices Must Be Made’ – APC Endorses Tinubu’s Intervention ]In Rivers Crisis

The party also dismissed calls for the suspension of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, arguing that he was not directly responsible for the crisis.

Speaking at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday, Rivers State APC caretaker committee chairman, Tony Okocha, defended Tinubu’s decision, likening it to a difficult but essential medical procedure. He emphasized that while painful, it was the only way to restore order in the state.

During a visit to the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), led by Abdullahi Ganduje, Okocha expressed gratitude for the party’s support in addressing the situation.

When asked whether Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s removal was the only solution, Okocha responded, “For the moment, it was necessary. The President’s decision was a necessary evil. Whether through impeachment or suspension, as it stands today, 90% of the crisis in Rivers has been resolved. Think of it like treating a hernia—both the condition and the surgery are painful, but without intervention, there is no relief.”

Addressing concerns about Wike’s potential suspension, Okocha argued, “Was he directly involved? No. If he is linked to the crisis, it is only because he built the political structure in question. The 32 assembly members were elected with his support, just as the governor was. If Wike must be implicated, it would be solely on that basis.”

Okocha also criticized Governor Fubara, calling him a “weak political investment,” adding that in politics, no one allows their structure to collapse without a fight. He noted that while the APC is observing from the outside, the crisis remains an internal PDP struggle.