The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State has expressed readiness to work with suspended Governor of the state, Siminalayi Fubara, when he returns to office on September 18, 2025, at the expiration of the six-month emergency rule in the state.
APC Chairman in the State, Chief Tony Okocha, stated this on Tuesday while briefing journalists in Port Harcourt on the outcome of the just concluded local government elections, where the party won 20 of 23 councils in the state, with PDP winning 3.
President Bola Tinubu had on March 18, 2025, suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Prof. Mrs. Ngozi Odu and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker, Martin Amaehwule, and declared State of emergency in the state for an initial 6 months, citing security concerns, before appointing retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas as Sole Administrator of the State.
Okocha said, "September 18 will mark exactly six months since the suspension of the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara.
"As the six months elapses, the Governor is expected to return to office. So, we will work with him. The State Assembly will cooperate with the governor, but if he deviates or delves into obnoxious acts, we will criticize and call him to order."
The APC Chairman thanked Rivers' residents, the national leadership of APC, and President Bola Tinubu for their massive support during the LG elections.
He also commended security agencies for the peaceful polls.
Okocha boasted that the outcome of the elections is a reflection of what will happen in the state during the 2027 general election, adding that the APC under his leadership would double it's efforts in ensuring a landslide victory for President Bola Tinubu come 2027 general elections.
"The results of the just concluded Local Government Elections is an indication of what will happen in 2027.
What we have done is that we have just tested the waters to see our strengths in the state and it's proven beyond reasonable doubt that we are very strong.
"So it is a prelude to what will happen in 2027, and I told you that whilst we were campaigning, we told our people that there was a need for us to belong to the center and leave the peripheries and they agreed.
"Like one leader in this country said, at some point he had no shoes, in 2023 APC Rivers had no shoes, now we are wearing shakadele, so what do you expect, we are going to double and be re-doubling this number for Mr President who as far as my party is concerned, will be fielding for a second term in office."
Okocha added that APC is back in the limelight in Rivers State. "We want to thank Rivers residents who thronged out in their numbers to vote for the preferred candidate in the just concluded elections of August 30.
I am happy to announce that out of the 23 LGAs in Rivers State, APC clinched 20, it was not a mean feat.
"We also want to thank Mr President for believing in us and assigning the task of leading the prestigious party in Rivers State.
"What happened in Rivers State was made possible by the amalgamation of different political parties under the renewed hope family."
Chief Tony Okocha also used the medium to call on the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike and suspended members of the Rivers State House of Assembly to defect to the APC and have peace following the crisis rocking their party, the PDP.
He said, "The time is ripe, we will continue to beckon on them (lawmakers) to join the APC, not even them alone, but we will continue to beckon on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Ezenwo Nyesom Wike to come over to APC and have peace, PDP is in tatters.
"I was reading a post this morning, there was a meeting of critical stakeholders of PDP, they met yesterday and came up with a communique which is in contrast with the idea of the PDP, vis-a-vis their national convention, they read six demands and said until those demands are met they will meet themselves in court.
"And if you are a member of that political party that has no future or whose future is bleak and you want to aspire to an office, will you want to go and put yourself in such a dilemma?
Because the man who signs your nomination forms and all that, the moment the court says he wasn't qualified to sign, it means that you have also lost the election.
"So we'll continue making overtures, we'll continue our pleas, if you ask me our intention is to make Rivers State 100 per cent APC, so for those that matter politically who are still on the other side, we will beckon on them to come to Mr President's party in Rivers State," he added.