By Ismaeel Aleem
In a bold declaration amid escalating political tensions in Rivers State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikwerre Local Government Area has vowed to retire former governors Rotimi Amaechi and Celestine Omehia from active politics following the 2027 general elections.
This statement underscored the deepening rifts within the state’s political landscape, where old alliances are fracturing and new battle lines are being drawn ahead of crucial polls.
Obinna Ekem, the Director-General of the Ikwerre APC Campaign Organisation, made the announcement during the grand finale of a rally in Omagwa community yesterday.
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Speaking to a crowd of supporters gearing up for the August 30 local government elections, Ekem expressed unwavering confidence in the party’s prospects.
“We are set to sweep all 13 wards in Ikwerre,” he proclaimed, citing strong grassroots support and assurances from residents for a decisive victory.
He emphasised that this momentum would carry into the 2027 elections, predicting a landslide win for President Bola Tinubu despite opposition from local heavyweights like Amaechi and Omehia.
Ekem’s remarks highlighted past grievances, attributing the APC’s repeated electoral defeats in Rivers State to Amaechi’s leadership during his tenure as the party’s state leader.
“Under Amaechi, we suffered losses time and again,” Ekem stated, noting that Amaechi’s recent defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has opened the door for the APC’s resurgence.
He urged Tinubu to direct his focus toward national opponents such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Mark, assuring that the Ikwerre APC would “handle” Amaechi and Omehia at the grassroots level.
Backing Ekem’s stance, Rivers State APC Chairman Tony Okocha, who enjoys support from the party’s national secretariat, called on Ikwerre residents to prevent any single party from dominating the upcoming local elections.
Okocha contrasted the forthcoming polls with the controversial October 2024 exercise under suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, which was nullified by the Supreme Court due to irregularities.
“This election will be credible and fair,” he asserted, urging voters to embrace the APC’s vision for transparent governance.
The vow comes against a backdrop of intense political manoeuvring in Rivers State, a key battleground in Nigeria’s south-south region. Both Amaechi and Omehia, natives of Ikwerre, have long been influential figures.
Amaechi, who served as governor from 2007 to 2015 and later as Minister of Transportation, has been a vocal critic of the current administration’s policies.
Omehia, whose brief 2007 governorship was overturned by the courts but later recognised, has aligned with opposition forces.
Their involvement in a coalition challenging the APC’s dominance has evidently irked party loyalists.
However, neither Amaechi nor Omehia has publicly responded to the claims, leaving room for speculation on their next moves.
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As the August 30 polls approach, all eyes are on Ikwerre, where the outcome could foreshadow broader shifts in the state’s volatile politics.
With Tinubu’s re-election bid on the horizon, such local skirmishes highlight the APC’s efforts to neutralise internal and external threats.
