The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State that include former Transport Minister, Rotimi Amaechi and the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Tonye Cole, on Wednesday shunned a meeting held with the State Governor, Nyesom Wike by the presidential candidate of the party and his team at the government house.
The well attended meeting was also attended by the APC presidential candidate, his running mate, Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu; Governors Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Babjide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi).
Others at the meeting include former governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) as well as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; among others.
But conspicuously absent were Amaechi (who lost the APC presidential ticket to Tinubu), Cole and other party leaders in the state.
The meeting was coming after the APC held its presidential campaign rally in the state.
Wike had given Tinubu a free venue even though he’s of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
He is one of the five governors known as the G-5 opposed to the continuous leadership of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and had threatened to support a rival candidate.
Although he repeatedly promised to reveal who the group would support in January, cracks in the group and the complicated campaign scenario where some members are candidates in the general elections have put the group’s plan in smoke.
But the APC rally on Wednesday was well supported by the PDP leadership in the state with reports that the PDP Governor had tasked all his appointees to mobilise and support Tinubu towards his emergence in the February 25 election.
This is as there are reports Amaechi may be clearing his path to the PDP in a scheme being worked out by former National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus and the Chairman of the PDP presidential campaign council in the state, Abiye Sekibo.
It was gathered that Atiku is interested in using Amaechi to checkmate Wike in an increasingly complicated and volatile political atmosphere in the oil-rich state.
