Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha has said that the continues protest, rejection of the Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd) administration and clamour for the reinstatement of suspended governor Siminalayi Fubara by his (Fubara’s) supporters is undermining the reconciliation process in the ongoing crisis rocking the state.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on March 18, 2025 suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State from office alongside the state deputy governor, Prof. Ngozi Odu and members the state house of assembly following a declaration of a state of emergency.
The APC, in a statement personally signed by Tony Okocha, raised fresh concerns over the spate of unending protests in the state against the constituted government.
Okocha also accused Fubara of orchestrating the protests against the Sole Administrator and the new government of the state.
The APC equally emphasized that the ongoing protests is a deliberate attempt to destabilize the state and undermine the authority of the Sole Administrator.
Okocha, while condemning the protests said the party is concerned about the safety of Rivers people in the face of lingering mass action, adding that the state deserves peace not chaos.
He said, “The protests, in which women are procured, mobilised, and instructed to invade and disrupt government programs and activities, have gotten to an embarrassing level, raising serious concern about the safety of the daily lives of Rivers people and those living and doing business in the State.
“The height of the continued daily unrest and disruption of public peace as orchestrated by suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his allies is the disruption of an Empowerment Support Program For Women in Rivers State organised by Her Excellency, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, the 1st Lady of Nigeria, and wife of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, under the auspices of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) on Thursday, 2nd May, 2025, at EUI event centre in Port Harcourt.
“As a responsible political party in Rivers State, and the voice of the voiceless in the State, we are deeply concerned about the safety and security of citizens, as well as the overall stability of the State,” he stated.
The APC chairman urged the relevant authorities to take immediate action to investigate the funding sources behind the protests and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
“We call on the relevant authorities to intervene and bring an end to these sponsored protests, which are deliberately crafted efforts to undermine the restoration of peace and stability in Rivers State,” he added.