The Rivers State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has dismissed reports of a disagreement between its Chairman, Chief Tony Okocha, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike.
The party explained that the chairman’s absence from a recent Rainbow Coalition event was due to a medical trip overseas.
The APC said Okocha is currently seeking medical attention abroad following a deterioration in his health, and that his trip coincided with the unveiling of candidates endorsed by the coalition for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed on Saturday by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Chibike Ikenga, the APC said Okocha obtained Wike’s approval before travelling, describing him as the National Leader of the Rainbow Coalition.
The statement read in part, “There is NO DISAGREEMENT whatsoever and the Chairman will reunite with the party executive and the Rainbow Coalition upon his return from his medical trip.”
The party described reports of a rift between the two political figures as false, alleging that they were being circulated by opponents to create divisions within the coalition.
It urged its members and supporters to disregard the reports, insisting that it remains committed to working with other parties in the Rainbow Coalition to secure victory for President Bola Tinubu, its governorship candidate, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, and other coalition-endorsed candidates in the 2027 elections.
The statement further said the party was committed to “working in partnership with all the parties aligned with the Rainbow Coalition” to deliver victory for the candidates.
It also described the unveiling of the coalition’s endorsed candidates as a successful event, despite Okocha’s absence.