Rivers crisis: Okocha strongly denies meeting Fubara’s ally amid political tensions
Tony Okocha, the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, has firmly denied reports circulating on social media that he secretly met with a close ally of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. These rumors were sparked by a photo that appeared online, showing Okocha seated next to Chijioke Ihunwo, the Chairman of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The political landscape in Rivers State has become increasingly divided, with some figures supporting Governor Fubara, while others remain loyal to the former governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Amid these divisions, a small group of politicians has chosen to remain neutral.
The photo of Okocha and Ihunwo fueled speculation that Okocha was considering aligning with Fubara’s camp. However, Okocha quickly dismissed the claims. In a statement issued on Sunday, January 7, by his Special Assistant on Media, Vincent Gbosi, he described the rumors as “cheap and infantile propaganda” orchestrated by political amateurs and their supporters on social media.
The statement went on to explain that the image in question was altered, urging the public to disregard the false reports. “The purveyors of the allegation cooked up a story with a photoshopped picture of Sir (Chief) Tony C. Okocha, DSSRS, JP, the Chairman of the APC in Rivers State, who also doubles as the Rivers State Representative in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC),” it read.
Okocha’s team also criticized the fabricated story, calling it “defamatory” and aimed at tarnishing his reputation. “It is clueless, unthinkable, unimaginable, inconceivable, and demeaning for anyone in their right senses to come up with the concoction that Sir (Chief) Tony C. Okocha will pay a ‘courtesy visit’ to Hon. Chijioke Ihunwo, a well-known political neophyte,” the statement continued.
The APC leader concluded by urging the public to ignore the misinformation, declaring, “It is totally false as it never happened, and will never happen.”
